


Always & Forever

by Kimrou15



Category: Gymnastics RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 06:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6843262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimrou15/pseuds/Kimrou15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when your best friend becomes more than your best friend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

Aliya’s POV

Walking into the gym everyday and not being able to train was the worst part of her knee injury. Not the pain, not the physiotherapy but the yearning to be out there with her teammates. She was finally allowed to walk without her crutches but she still had to wear a knee brace, although a much more discrete one.

The only thing you wanted more than to be out there training was the little pixie like angel on beam. Just as she noticed you, she loses her footing and falls on her back. You walk over as fast your crippled self can.

“Vika are you okay?” you ask as you give her a hand and help her up. 

“Im fine, but my pride isn’t. WAIT they finally let you off crutches?” Viktoria’s eyes lit up as she asked the question. You noticed a little glimmer in them.

As your about to respond, Gennedy barks at her to get back on the beam and finish her routine.

“Come to my room when training is over. We can talk then.” You tell her. She mounts the beam with slightly more energy than when she had fallen. 

You head over to your physiotherapy appointment for the day. By the time you’re done with your appointment, you feel like you’re about to pass out. The doctor worked you so hard, you think you might be re-injured. He assures you that this is normal after no longer having to use crutches and that you should start to feel normal again in a couple of days. 

You start to gather your stuff to leave, when you sense her behind you.

“Hey, what are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet up later?” you ask out of genuine curiosity since practice doesn’t end for another hour.

“Gennedy let me out early since my ankle was sore and I couldn’t stay on the beam. He wants me to go ice it and I figured you would probably need to ice as well after therapy. I figured we could do it together, you always make things more interesting Alka” She says. 

Your heart begins beat rapidly as she says this. You’re secretly ecstatic at the fact that she wants to spend time with you. You both head for the ice baths. She notices you limping more than you should be.

“Are you ok Alka, your limping an awful lot? More than you should for someone injured” she asks concern evident in her voice.

You finally reach the baths and you both submerge your legs in it while sitting on the sides.

“I’m fine” you tell her. “I’m just sore from all the therapy. I swear Valentina gave the doctor orders to kill me. To answer your question from earlier, yes I’m off crutches but I still have to wear a stupid knee brace. I’m allowed to start conditioning and bars training next week.” You reveal.

Viktoria squeals in delight and crushes you in a hug. It takes you by surprise as you’re not a touchy person, but you hug her back with as much force as your body will let you.

Seeming to notice how uncomfortable you got, she lets go.

“Sorry, I forgot you don’t really like to be touched, I’m just so happy your finally coming back to training.” Her eyes are gleaming like you’ve never seen before. You suddenly feel the butterfly’s in your stomach. You’re surprised at the reaction your body is having because of her.

“So how are things with you and pavel?” she asks. You notice a slight hint of sadness in her voice but you brush it off.

“Oh, um things are good I guess.” 

She cocks her head to the side indicating you to continue.

“Well, things are a little different since the injury.”

“How so?” 

“I don’t know, he seems different or I’ve just changed.” You know it’s a vague response but you just can’t put your finger on what it is that’s different.

“You’ve been through a serious injury Aliya. That’s something that changes you. But you’re still the same old awesome Alka in my eyes.” 

She clearly wanted to hug you at the end of that statement but refrained from doing so and you find yourself wishing she had. Your time is up so you tell Viktoria that you need a shower but you guys will talk later. You smile at her and head to your room. As you get there you see Pavel leaning beside your door. He smiles when he sees you and you reciprocate as much as you can. You open the door and walk into your room with Pavel on your heels. You lay down on your bed and he lies down next to you. 

“How was your first day of serious therapy babe? Did they tell you when you can start to train with the rest of the girls?” He’s pretty enthusiastic which takes you by surprise.

“It was long and painful but it’ll be worth it when I’m on top of that podium in London. And I’ve been cleared to start stretching, conditioning and bars training next week. I just can’t do anything that requires a landing.” Your frustration comes out I that last sentence even though you tried to stay calm.

He notices and envelopes you in his strong arms and whispers reassurance while being careful not to touch your knee. You hate showing vulnerability but today you needed the comfort of someone else. This is the closest you guys have been in a while. He lies on his back and puts your head on his chest. You can feel his heart beating faster and his breath on your head. You know what’s about to happen and Pavel is a good guy so you let him. He bends down and starts kissing you. He is tender at first but he starts to get more aggressive. You kiss him back but something in your mind is telling you that this isn’t right. His hands start to run down your side that’s when you’ve had enough. You break away.

“I can’t Pavel. I’m sorry.” You’re genuinely apologetic.

“What now, Aliya? You barely pay any attention to me lately. Am I so repulsive to you?” The hurt and anger is clear in his voice but his eyes only show pain. For some reason, what he has said has angered you as well.

“Are you serious Pavel? I’m the one injured and might not be able to come back and you make this all about you.” You’re fuming at this point.

“Aliya, I’m sorry that’s not what I meant.” 

“Well it’s what you said so there must be some truth behind it.” 

“You know what Aliya, I’ve tried to be there and help but all you’re doing is pushing me away.” He yells, you don’t remember ever seeing him this angry in the 2 years you’ve dated.

“You know what, I can’t do this anymore. I’m done aliya!” He slams the door as he leaves. You grab the nearest lamp and throw it at the door as hard as you can. It shatters on impact. 

You sit on your bed and cry as much out of anger/frustration as of sadness. You truly liked Pavel and felt bad that he was hurting. You hear a light knock at the door and get up thinking Pavel must have forgotten his phone as usual. You’re shocked to see Viktoria standing there.

“I heard shouting and the door slam and I saw Pavel storming down the hallways, is everything ok?”

You let her in and you both sit on your bed.

“Pavel and I broke up” 

“Aliya, I’m so sorry to hear that” her eyes are genuine but there is the beginning of a slight smirk at the corner of her mouth. 

She goes to hug you but shows that same hesitation. However this time you lean in because you need her. She envelops you in her small but strong arms. You rest you’re head on her shoulder. She smells amazing. You once again feel the butterflies in your stomach and that’s when it dawns on you. You love Vika. You don’t know when or how it happened but somehow the girl in front of you captured your heart which is now beating incredibly fast.

You pull back just enough so you can face her and she smiles at you and her eyes are twinkling. That is when you decide to kiss her. You meant it to be tender but she makes you lose control like nothing else can. Soon your hands are in her hair as her find you’re back and you lick her bottom lip begging for entrance. She grants it and soon your tongues are melting together. You push her onto her back on the bed. Your hands wander on her body and hers land at the hem of your shirt and tries to take it off. That’s when you start to panic. It’s not that you don’t want her. You do so badly but you just can’t be that close to someone who could easily destroy you. You break away as fast as possible.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t” you mutter as you run out of your own room leaving behind a confused and hurt Vika.

You run aka gimp walk to the gym since it’s the only place in the world for you that everything makes sense. You sit in the middle of the floor mat. Alexandrov see’s you but doesn’t say anything since he knows you’re not foolish enough to try to train.

“Just make sure to turn off the lights as you leave the gym Alka” he says sweetly with a smile as he walks out.

You start to kick yourself for leaving Viktoria like that. You know you hurt her and left her confused much like you were at that moment. You know that you will have to talk to Vika and explain and you’re dreading it.Since you don’t actually start training until next week you’re easily capable of avoiding Vika. But as you walk in on your first day of training, she notices you out of the corner of her eye on bars and her feet hit the low bar and she falls onto the mat. It looked painful so you walk over to her and offer your hand to help her up. She just glares at you and gets up on her own and heads to the chalk bowl to put more onto her grips.

You try to talk to her but all she does is ignore you.

“Will you please just talk to me Vika! You can’t just ignore me.”

“Oh like you did to me all last week” she yells in a whisper so no one else hears. Her eyes are blazing with fury. 

“I’m sorry but please give me a chance to explain.” You plead. 

“Just leave me alone” she yells and this time everyone in the gym heard her. She runs out of the gym, something she has never done before.

Ksenia who was on the beam set right beside the bars comes up to you.

“What the hell did you do to her?” she’s angry. As team captain she has to worry about team moral so you let her rudeness slide.

“I didn’t do anything and even if I had it would be none of your business.” You give her the glare that you’re known for to make sure she knows not to cross the line.

“Well whatever happened, just fix it. NOW!” as she walks away.

Alexandrov walks over to you and tells you to go after her and resolve whatever it is that happened. You walk out of the gym and start searching for Vika. You search everywhere and can’t find her so you give up and head back to your room. As you get closer you can hear someone crying and sure enough there she is leaning against your door crying. You help her up and you open the door letting her in first. You indicate the bed meaning for her to sit on it. You take a place beside her and hold her until she is done crying. 

“I’m sorry Vika. I’m so sorry I hurt you.” Your lips tremble as you speak. 

“That’s the last thing I would ever want to do. I care about you so much. I” you stop there because you can’t bring yourself to say the words.

“You what, Aliya? You can tell me anything” Her eyes are pleading you to continue. 

The raw emotion is killing you inside. You can’t even bring yourself to look her in the eyes so you get up and head to the window. It’s a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining and the birds are singing. You did not realize Viktoria had gotten up and was behind you until she puts a delicate hand on your shoulder.

“What’s wrong Aliya? I just want to help”

“I love you” you mumble

“What did you just say” as she clearly didn’t hear you.

You take a deep breath and turn around and look her in the eyes and say “I love you”. There are tears in your eyes from the overwhelming feeling of declaring you’re emotions. Seeing your vulnerability she hugs you and you respond back fiercely.

You whisper into her ear “That’s why I ran away. I couldn’t help being so close to you. I got scared at how much you truly mean to me. I’m still scared but I need you Vika, I can’t stand to be away from you.”

She kisses the side of your head and pulls back to look you in the eyes but leaves her arms around your neck. 

“I love you too Alka. You don’t have to be scared. I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be there to support you, to cheer you up or whatever you need me for. I can’t promise I’ll never hurt you but I promise to never do it intentionally or deliberately.” She is crying again but this time its happy tears. You know this because you are crying as well.

She kisses your forehead, then your cheek and finally your lips. You take her to bed and she rests her head on your chest as you lie on your back. With your arms around her and hers around you, you finally feel at peace. You finally feel at home. Just as you’re about to fall asleep she nuzzles into the crook of your neck and whispers in your ear: 

“I love you Alka. Always & Forever. That is my promise to you.”


	2. chapter 2

Aliya’s POV

Ever since the admission of their feelings and the promise made by Viktoria, they had been together. Aliya was finally back training with the national team and had been given the green light to start slow training on all four apparatus. She had never been happier if she was being honest with herself. Although training was slow, she was back where she belonged with the girl she loved. They were each other’s biggest supporters. Aliya was there when the pressure would become too much for Vika and would comfort her and remind her of how awesome she is and to never forget it. Vika would reassure Aliya that she was making progress when training seemed to progress so slowly and would convince her to keep going and that the end result would be them standing on top of that podium together in London.

Their teammates had noticed that something was different with the two gymnasts but the girls had yet to reveal to everyone at round lake that they were a couple. They knew their friends would love them no matter what, but they were scared nonetheless.

“Aliya we should tell them. I’m sure they’ve noticed something by now.” She said as she hugged Aliya from behind. It was their downtime between morning and evening workout and they were spending it together as usual. 

Aliya turns around and puts her arms around Vika’s neck and gives her a light kiss on the lips and whispers: 

“We will Vika, just not now, im not ready yet. But I will be soon. I promise.” You nuzzle into the crook of her neck. You try to sound as courageous as possible but your eyes betray your fear. She sees this and hugs you until your breathing calms down. As much as she wants to be open about your love she won’t push you out of fear that she will push you away.

You spend the rest of your downtime cuddling and talking. You both head down to the dining hall for dinner and you sit at a table with Ksenia, Masha and Tatiana. There’s a look going around between the 3 girls but you brush it off being your own paranoia that is until Tatiana always the blunt one asks:

“Ok, are you guys together? I’m tired wondering and Ksenia and Masha want to know too.”

You try to stay as calm as possible but there is fear in your eyes. Viktoria sense’s this and grabs your hand under the table giving you wordless comfort.  
“What are you guys talking about, Vika and I are just friends.” You say as calmly as possible. Vika stops rubbing your knuckles but does not release your hand; you know you’ve just upset her.

“Aliya. C’mon stop with the bullshit. We’ve noticed the glances during training and how you guys are pretty much always attached to the hip. We’re fine with it, just tell us the truth. Please.” Normally you’d be annoyed by them prying into your personal life but you know coming from your 3 closest friends that it comes from a place of love.

But you still can’t help the way your body wants to flee. So you look at Vika with an apologetic glance and excuse yourself from the table.

“I got to go get ready for training. I’ll see you guys back at the gym.” You let go of her hand and walk back to your room not bothering to look back at the disappointment you know you caused your girlfriend.

Once you’re back in your room you start to get ready for practice when Vika barges in. You don’t remember ever seeing her so angry. You’re about to start apologizing when she starts to yell at you.

“Really Aliya, you couldn’t even just admit it to your best friends after they asked? It’s one thing to wait until you’re ready but you’re acting as though you’re ashamed of me. Is that how you feel about us?”She’s fuming. Her entire body radiates hostility. You find yourself at a loss for words.

“Vika I’m” but she cuts you off right there. She stomps out of your room slamming the door behind her. You sit on your bed and bite you lip hoping the tears forming in your eyes don’t fall but you can’t help it and they do. There’s a knock at the door, you know it’s not Vika after what’s happened.

“Go away.” You yell not bothering to see who it is or what they want.

“Aliya, its Masha. I’m coming in. You can scream as much as you want but I don’t care.” She says as she marches into your room.

“Have you been crying?” she asks in a gentle voice taken aback by seeing you like this. They’ve only ever seen you cry from physical pain or frustration. She sits down beside you and rubs your back. You respond by laying your head on her shoulder. 

“What happened Aliya? What’s upset you?” The concern in her eyes and voice is the reason you decide to go for it. You turn to face her and she wipes a tear from your cheek and smiles at you in encouragement. 

“Well I guess I should start from the beginning. Yes its true, Vika and I are together. We have been for a couple of weeks. It’s been great so far, I never thought I could be this happy” you cry tears of joy at this statement and you smile, the one you reserve only for your closet friends and family to see.   
She seems touched by what you’ve just said as she grabs a hold of your hand to comfort you and to tell you to keep going. 

“I know this is real. I love Vika more than I thought I could ever love someone. We’ve had a slow and bumpy start but everything has been smooth sailing since then. She’s been asking me to tell people, at least our closest friends and family. I want them to know too, I hate having to hide but I’m scared of what they might say when they find out. What if they hate us? What if they kick Vika and me out of Round Lake?” you start to hyperventilate at this point.   
Masha pulls you into her arms.

“Shhh it’s going to be ok. I know and I don’t hate you, neither do Ksenia and Tatiana who have they’re suspicions. We love you girls and we have your backs no matter what. You and Vika are the best gymnast in Russia; they’d be fools to kick you out of round lake. Who would win Russia medals then?” she says with a smirk on her face. You can’t help yourself and you find yourself giggling. This is why you love Masha, she can always get you to laugh and smile. You hug her and she’s momentarily surprised but responds in equal measure. 

“C’mon we have practice to go to” as she starts heading towards the door.

“You go ahead. I’ll be there soon” 

She nods and leaves to the gym.

You lie on your back on the bed and think. Are you ready to come out yet? Masha seemed to have taken the news well. Ksenia and Tatiana pretty much know. You can’t help it and your mind wanders to Vika. It’s true, you love her. No doubt about it. Somehow you’re lucky enough that she feels the same way.   
But she hurt you tonight. You know she didn’t mean too, that she was only mad because of what you did. You hope she will forgive you for being a coward, because today made you realize that you can’t live without her anymore. She’s apart of you now and if she walks away it’ll destroy you in every way possible.  
You try to push the thought out of your head because it’s time for practice. You start to walk to the gym and you start to think that everything will work itself out that is until you see her. It’s as if someone just stabbed you in the heart and you know you can’t do this. 

So you walk over to Alexandrov and he immediately notices that something is wrong. He knows you better than yourself sometimes. As you reach him he asks you:

“Aliya, what’s wrong?” his eyes scan over every inch of you trying to come up with an answer. 

“It’s my knee.” His eyes widen in panic.

“Don’t worry I didn’t re-injure it. But it’s weaker and more painful than usual and I’m scared I might re-injure it at this pace. I hate myself for saying this, but is it ok if I skip out on tonight’s practice and go ice it instead? I really don’t want to overdo it.” You practically beg.

He seems torn.

“Please understand that my asking this isn’t easy for me.” There are tears forming in your eyes.

“It’s ok Alka. You’re going to be fine. I know this must be difficult for you to admit so thank you for telling me. Take the night off and get some rest. Let me know how your knee feels in the morning” he says. His voice is soft. You know he hates seeing you in pain. He’s become like a father to you. 

“Thank you Alexander.” 

You never call him by his first name, so he is taken aback. He just nods. That’s when you walk out of the gym feeling like everything is falling apart. 

***   
Vika’s POV

She walks in and tells alexandrov something. He doesn’t seem happy but he nods his head in agreement and she just walks out the doors. The sight makes you panic. Why is she walking out? Why does Alexandrov seem upset? You try to get the distraction out of your head as you go for your standing Arabian. Your feet are just slightly off center and you fall onto the mat.

“What’s wrong with you today Vika? You’ve been doing great in training these past couple of weeks but today you’re distracted.” Gennedy asks you. He is pretty upset and you don’t blame him. You’re doing horribly and you know it. 

“I’m sorry coach. I’m just a little distracted. I’ll try harder, I promise.” You tell him and that’s when it dawns on you. A promise. You made a promise to Aliya that you would always be there for her through thick and thin. Tonight you broke that promise when you walked out on the girl who holds your heart. Your face must have betrayed your guilt and your pain because Gennedy tells you to take the rest of the night off and to take care of whatever distractions you need to come back refreshed in the morning. 

You thank him as you leave the room running. You need to find her and make things right. You make it back to the dorms but she’s not back yet so you decide to wait until she comes back. You sit in the chair by the window and wait. The sun quickly sets and you do not realize but you are sitting in the dark. Finally she arrives and you can tell she’s crying before she even turns on the lights. She jumps and screams when she sees you out of surprise. There’s a small awkward silence, neither of you knowing who or how to start the conversation.

“You scared me” She finally says.

“I’m sorry.” You manage to get out. You trying to stay strong but inside it feels like you’re dying.

“What are you doing here Vika?”She asks, tears still present in her eyes.

“Why weren’t you at practice?” you ask as you walk over to her. You try to grab her hand but she shakes you off and so you sit on the bed.

“I wasn’t in the mood to practice, so I told Alexandrov that my knee hurt and that I thought I should skip tonight’s practice and ice so I don’t overdo it. He wasn’t happy but reluctantly agreed” She reveals.

“You never answered my question. Why are you here Vika?” a little more insistent this time.

“I saw you walk into practice, talk to alexandrov and then leave. I got worried something was wrong because he didn’t look happy and you never miss practice. You are the one who said the only reasonable reason to miss practice is death.”

She sits beside you on the bed so you kneel in front of her and grab her hands.

“I’m so sorry Aliya. I broke my promise. You have no reason to forgive me but I would be the happiest person in the world if you do. I’ll never walk out on you again if you give me another chance. I love you and we can take as much time as you want to tell people” You don’t mean to blurt this out at the speed of light but you can’t help it. You need her to hear it all before she walks away or hopefully doesn’t. 

You’ve always tried to be strong when you two are alone since you know it’s the only time she allows herself to break down. This time you can’t take it and you fall into full blown hysterics. She kneels on the floor beside you and you both hold onto each other as your body cries the pain away. For Aliya it was the pain of being abandoned but for you it was that you broke your promise and you let Aliya down. Once the two of you are done crying you lie down on the bed next to each other and stare into each other’s eyes.

“I forgive you Vika and I believe you when you say you’ll never do that again. By the way, I told Masha the truth about us.” You’re surprised but so excited by this.

“You did? OMG when? How did she take it?” You blurt out.

She chuckles at this knowing everything in the world is in its rightful place.

“Yes I did. It was after you walked out. She heard the noise and came to see what happened and she took it well. I think I’m ready to tell our friends and family.” You search her face for any sign of nervousness or doubt and you’re so happy when you don’t find any.

You smile so wide you think you might strain a facial muscle but she just made you the happiest girl in the world. 

“I love you so much.” You tell her. 

She doesn’t doubt you since your eyes and body language convey the same message.

“I know, and I love you just as much” 

“Then come here” you say as seductively as possible making your intent clear.

She smiles as she walks towards you, her eyes shining with lust. She laughs then tackles you onto the bed and begins to tickle your sides.

“Aliya. Please. Stop.” You say in between breaths and laughs. You’ve always been ticklish and she knows it. You forgive her for taking advantage of your weakness as you take advantage of hers and flip her over so that you’re on top.

“I win” you purr into her ear.

“We both do.” She says as she closes the distance between your lips. 

*

The next day you guys walk to the gym together as usual but you wait before entering. You look at her and see that her hands are shaking.  
“Are you sure you’re ready for this Aliya? I don’t mind waiting.” You ask with a gentle voice. 

She takes a deep breath and looks you in the eyes while grabbing your hand and nods. The determination is seeping from every inch of her being. 

“How about you Vika, are you ready for this?” She asks, her mouth betraying a slight smirk and you know everything is going to be alright no matter what happens. 

You respond with 2 simple words. The words you take more seriously than anything.

“Always & Forever.”


	3. 3

Vika’s POV

It was the morning of the all-around at the 2012 Olympic Games. Both Vika and Aliya have qualified in 1st and 4th respectively. Aliya and Viktoria are getting ready in the room they share in the village. They are both feeling nervous but not saying anything as to not make things worse on the other. However as if feeling the other in distress and in need of help, you both turn towards each other as the same time and laugh. This defuses the tension in the room. After all, today was the day you have both trained for your entire lives. It’s the reason Aliya came back to gymnastics after her injury when most people would have given up.   
You smile and hug each other. You tell her how proud of her you are for making it here. That no matter what happens; she made it when so many others didn’t. That in your eyes her comeback was complete, and nobody can take that away from her. Her eyes well up in tears. Thankfully she hadn’t done her eye make-up yet.

“Thank you Viktoria. For saying that and for helping me get here. I wouldn’t have made it here and through the last year without you. I love you.” Her lips tremble as she tells you this. She kisses you before continuing. “Today is you’re day. You’re going to go out there and destroy the competition. I believe in you” her eyes beaming with love. This has you crying tears of joy. 

You guys finish getting ready and go to the cafeteria to get some breakfast before heading over to the arena. You are both surprised to see Masha, Ksenia and Anastasia waiting for you guys with big smiles on their faces. They aren’t competing today so you both assumed they’d be sleeping in on the one day they could.  
“What are you girls doing here” You both ask them at the same time. 

“Did you really think we wouldn’t come cheer you on” Ksenia says. This makes Masha smile.

“Yeah, I thought you knew us better than that” Masha jokes.

You’re thankful for this moment with you girl and you friends. You grab some food and gossip while eating, happy for the distraction. When you guys are done, you hug as you guys have to go to the arena to prepare and won’t see them until after the competition even though they will be there cheering you on from the sidelines. You guys head to the arena with your coaches. You stay close to one another but you don’t speak for now. You’re both trying to get into your zones. Finally it’s time to walk into the arena. You give your girl a hug and wish her luck. She does the same and tells you to crush it. Since you guys are both in the top 6 qualifiers, you happen to be in the same rotation thankfully. That way you can keep an eye on each other. 

You start the competition on on vault. Warm ups go well. It’s your turn after the two americans. You run down the runway and do your amanar while Aliya screams for you to stick it. Unfortunately you weren’t able to. You take a couple of steps on the landing and end up with a score of 15.466 which puts you behind the Americans. Aliya is up on vault. She runs down the runway and nails her double twisting yurchenko, only a small step on the landing if the judges decide to count it or not. Although her vault is much less difficult to protect her knee, she makes up for it in execution. She ends up with a score of 15.233.

You both start to put on your grips as it’s now time for bars. You currently stand in 3rd place and Aliya in 4th. You don’t worry as you both are known for having amazingly hard and well performed bars routines. This will give you girls and edge over the Americans.You give one of the best bars performances of your life. You only give away a small hop on the landing. You finish with 15.966. An overall great score. You watch as it is Aliya’s turn. She performs one of the best routines you have ever seen with a stuck dismount, which is of course named after her. She is really happy. She score’s a 16.100, the best in the competition so far.   
After this rotation you are in 2nd behind Gabby Douglas and Aliya is in 3rd. 

It’s time for beam. You’re the first competitor. You go up and do exactly what you’re supposed to do. You get a score of 15.441. For Aliya all goes smoothly until she falls on her standing Arabian. You cringe at the sight, you were sure she had it. She takes a deep breath trying to rid herself of the frustration visible on her face and gets back on the beam. That’s the fighter you know and love. Other than a few balance checks, a step on the landing and going over time, the rest of the routine goes well. She scores 13.633. A terrible score and you can’t help yourself cringe internally. You know better than to try to tell her it’ll be ok. You let her get ready for floor. The determination on her face makes you slightly more at ease. Heading into the last rotation you’re still in 2nd and Aliya still in 3rd.   
Aliya is up on floor. To everyone’s surprise including herself, she qualified to the event final. She performs a great routine and finishes with a score of 14.600 for an overall score of 59.566. You congratulate her as she walks by and throw in a wink. She smiles at you. 

You’re so proud of her for what she’s done today. However you push this out of your mind because it’s your turn. This is it. This is the moment that decides whether you’re dream comes true or not. You’re feeling nervous. 

You step onto the floor and you give it your all. 

***

Aliya’s POV

You hug her fiercely after her floor routine. You’re so proud of her and you whisper so in her ear making sure the camera does not see. This is a moment you do not want to share with the world. 

You know the camera’s are around but you can’t make yourself leave her side. So you settle with keeping your arms on her shoulders. You guys are teammates after all and teammates support each other. She’s taking deep breaths because she just finished her floor routine, but you also know that she is trying to calm herself down. 

After such an incredible routine how could she not win?

When her score shows up you both gasp. She scores 15.100 to give her an overall score of 61.973 leaving her in 2nd place behind Gabby Douglas. You both thought it would be enough after such a great routine. She immediately try’s to walk out of your arms so you put your right arm around her shoulder and lead her to where your stuff and coaches are. 

You were so worried about Vika and making sure she was ok that you never looked at the score board to see where you stand. You see that you’re tied with the American Alexandra Raisman but your name is ahead of her. You’ve won the tie breaker. Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise and you smile. You didn’t expect this after a fall on beam and especially not after everything you went through. You feel an immense amount of pride at what you’ve accomplished. 18 months ago, anything short of a gold medal meant that you lost and you would be ashamed of yourself and your performance. However tonight, that bronze you worked so hard for felt greater than any gold medal. You would celebrate later after you were sure that your girlfriend was ok. 

You turn and see Gabrielle Douglas trying to reassure her by rubbing her back as she’s crying. You know this was meant to be a sweet gesture but you get so angry at her. Nobody would want to be reassured when their dream is crushed by the person who crushed them. Shouldn’t she know that after the same thing happened to her teammate Jordyn Wieber a couple of days earlier? 

You have to stay in the arena for the medal ceremony. You gladly accept your bronze medal and congratulate Gabby Douglas on her victory.   
You know Vika is beyond upset. As soon as the medal ceremony is over, she takes off her medal and carries it in her hand instead. You know she wants to get out of the arena as fast as possible but as you two were Olympic medalists you had to give interviews. You watch her during the interviews and you’ve never seen her so upset. It’s as if somebody had died. Her eyes were dull and lifeless. Needless to say you were worried. 

You go through interview after interview. At this point her answers are short and to the point and mostly mumbled. At this point you’re exhausted. It’s not until 2 hours after the completion that you’re both free to go.

You turn your back on her one minute to ask Evgeny a question and when you turn back she’s gone. You sigh because you know how hard it will be to find her if she does not want to be found and the Olympic village is huge. You also worry because you can only imagine how much pain she is in and you want to protect and shield her as best as you can.

You tell the coaches that you want to rest before you have to go celebrate but in reality you’re off searching for your other half. 

***

Vika’s POV

You had always been good at hiding when you did not want to be found. Tonight that’s the last thing you want to happen. You just needed to be alone. Aliya would not let you out of her sight the minute you’re found. A part of you loves her for this but you can’t stand the idea of seeing her disappointment from your performance. You had come in to win an Olympic gold medal. You had failed once again. You don’t know how much more you could take. You find a secluded spot in the village and you cry until your eyes have no more tears to cry.

You were exhausted at this point; the competition and crying had worn you out. You just wanted to be inside the warmth of your bed and Aliya’s strong reassuring arms. 

It was time to be a grown up and face reality. You know you can’t hide forever and you still have event finals. So you get up and start to walk back towards the Russian building.

The only thing keeping you together is knowing Aliya will never let you fall apart. 

As your walking back, you can’t help yourself and you really start to doubt your future in the sport. No matter what, you just seemed incapable of winning. There is only so much a person can take and you think you’ve finally reached your limit. You’d do some massive soul searching when the games were done. 

***

Aliya’s POV

Where is she you ask yourself? You try your hardest to come up with a possible answer. 

You start to worry since the sun had set about a half hour ago and you still hadn’t found her. You knew she wouldn’t go to the cafeteria, the pubs, the bars and stores since they’re crowded. You we’re starting to get frustrated with this game of hide and seek.

You decide to try one more location remembering something Vika said on their first day in the village. 

***

Vika’s POV

You start to get frustrated with yourself. Why did you have to run away so far? It’s taking forever for you to get back and it doesn’t help that you don’t really know the village. You wish you had paid attention during English class so that you knew the language well enough to ask for directions.  
Yet another thing I’ve done wrong. 

You find yourself beside the beautiful garden the team had walked by on the first day in London. You remember telling Aliya how wonderful it was and that you guys should escape here the two of you one night for a romantic midnight stroll. 

You look up and swear you see Aliya across the garden and hear your name. You clearly really needed to rest. You look up and notice the full moon.

***

Aliya’s POV

Finally you think to yourself. You found her on the opposite side of the garden. You scream her name but you don’t think she heard you because she doesn’t move. She’s starring at the full moon so you run to her before she escapes again.

When you get closer to her you slow down to a walk so you don’t scare her off. This was a delicate situation and you know you have to approach it carefully. When you’re finally behind her you say:

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere Vika.”

She turns to face you and she breaks down in tears. You put your arm around her waist and lead her to the bench a couple of feet away.

You sit down and pull her onto your lap. She puts her arms around you and puts her head on your shoulder her face in the crook of your neck. You wrap your arms around her, rub her back and kiss her forehead. 

“Shh it’s ok.” You whisper in her ear. 

She pulls her head back to look at you.

“I failed these games for myself, for you and for Russia. I’m so sorry for disappointing you tonight Aliya.” She says as she sniffles and bites back more tears.   
“You didn’t disappoint me tonight Vika. I love you and I’m so proud of what you accomplished. You’re still second best. You medaled at the Olympics. That’s a feat most people never accomplish. I know it hurts right now but I promise that in time it’ll get easier. You don’t need the medal to prove that you are the best gymnast in the world. I know it, the world knows it and eventually you’ll know it. I’ve never seen you attack a floor routine like you did tonight. Most people would have crumbled under the pressure but you went out there and performed the best floor routine of your life. That’s the mark of a true champion.” You kiss her forehead.

“You’ll always be my champion.” You say and you give her a loving kiss on the lips. 

She puts her head back onto your shoulder but she’s no longer crying. You know you’ve finally gotten through to her. You shift so that you’re once again looking into her beautiful green eyes.

“Months ago you made me a promise. Well tonight I am making you that same promise. I’m not going anywhere Vika. I will always be here for you in any way you need. Whether it’s to support you, cheer you up, listen, give advice or love you. I’m here and I always will be. Forever.” You put emphasis on the words ‘always’ and ‘forever’ so she knows how serious you are being. 

“Always&Forever?”vika asks hesitantly. You can see in her eyes how much tonight has cost her and you promise yourself to help her get it back whatever the cost and no matter how long it may take.

You look her in the eyes and make sure that your face is as loving and serious as possible:

“Always&Forever”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to describe the all around as accurately as possible. I wrote it while watching the competion on YouTube. The scores and standings are correct. The last 2 chapters have been about the promise Vika made Aliya and I thought this was the perfect scenario to have Aliya make that same promise. Hope you guys enjoyed it.


	4. 4

Aliya’s POV

It was the day of bars final. You had both qualified (vika in 3rd and Aliya in 5th) although you were both capable of posting much higher scores than during qualification. 

The sun rising woke you up, but your alarm would go off shortly so you decide to spend your last remaining minutes snuggling up to Vika who was peacefully asleep in your arms as always. Her scent hits you full force. You’ve always loved it, somehow it always manages to calm you down and make you feel peaceful. As she started to stir, you plant a long loving kiss onto her shoulder, then her neck and as she turns around, finally on her lips. 

“Good morning to you too.” She says as she nuzzles into the crook of your neck. 

She plants a long heated kiss just below your jugular and your breath hitches. You hear her giggle so you take the opportunity to flip her onto her back and to straddle her. You grab her wrists, pin them over her head and interlock your fingers. You trail kisses from her forehead, down to her jaw, down to her neck and finally to her collarbone all the while your hands are running up and down her sides. 

You place yourself between her legs that wrap themselves around your waist. She pulls your head up so that she can kiss you on the lips. She’s got one hand in your hair and the other grabbing a handful of the back of your shirt. 

You want to touch her just as much but since you’re on top of her you need to use your arms to hold yourself somewhat up since your about 6 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than her. Normally you wouldn’t care, your body craves contact from her but your both competing bar finals this afternoon and you don’t want to risk hurting her. 

She uses the opportunity to bring her other hand down your back, which sends chills throughout your body. Her hands make their way to the hem of your shirt and try’s to take it off. 

That when you lean back onto your knees. As badly as you want to continue and hate yourself for what you’re about to do, you have to stop. The directions where things are heading requires much energy, energy that neither of you can afford to lose.

“What, that’s it?”She asks shocked and clearly sexually frustrated.

“What? I got to keep something to reward you after you destroy everyone on bars today.”You laugh trying to hide your own frustration. 

This time she’s the one to pin you down onto the bed. She might be tiny, but don’t let that fool you, she’s incredibly strong. 

She kisses your collarbone, neck and makes her way up to your ear and whispers:

“When we both dominate on bars.”She corrects. 

You nod and kiss her before she rolls off of you smiling. Time for the both of you to get ready.   
Competition isn’t till the afternoon but you know the coaches will want you to practice lightly before so you put on your leotards and do your make-up so you don’t have to worry about it later. 

You both get dressed and make your way to the cafeteria and eat something. There’s less pressure than during the all-around finals so you enjoy each other’s company. Once you’re both done, you meet the coaches and go to the arena to practice. 

Once there, you start stretching and complete your warm up. After Evgeny and Gennedy come over to plan. They both believe that none of the competitors will have different routines than during qualifications. That as long as you both perform to your potentials, gold and silver will be yours. They give you your usual pre-performance talks, make sure to hit those handstands, keep your toes pointed and stick the landing. 

Practice goes well, for the both of you and the coaches are pleased. You both go get massages to rid your bodies of the lactic acid it possesses and to keep your muscles fresh. You eat something and relax until its time you get in line with the other competitors.

Before the competition starts, you make your way to one another and wish each other well and tell the other to crush it and this time you add:

“And the Americans.” With a wink since you both know this is Russia’s best chance at a gold medal. Something you could both easily achieve.

The competition starts and you realize quickly that Beth Tweddle and the reigning Olympic champion He Kexin have come to win. He Kexin is the first competitor, she post a score of 15.933. It would be hard to beat but not impossible. Next up is Vika. 

***

Vika’s POV

You barely watched He Kexin perform her routine. You were too busy trying to visualize yours. You were nervous yet excited to compete. It comforted you knowing that Aliya was only a couple of feet away. The thought of tonight was enough to put a smile on your face and a smirk on hers every time you both locked eyes. 

While the judges are tabulating He Kexin’s score, you chalk up your hands then start your routine. 

Everything was going well. You can hear Aliya cheering you on and you know you got this in the bag. That is until you feel your feet hitting the low bar. You barely have time to register frustration or how much it had physically hurt. You had to finish what was left of your routine. If you had to go down, you would go down fighting. 

Aliya is not known for smiling during competition, she’s actually known for what people call “the bitch glare/face”. She is known however, for being a supportive and caring teammate. The minute you’re off the podium and see’s you free she makes her way over to you and gives you a great big bear hug. She doesn’t say anything as she knows you’re not ready to hear it but the way she holds you speaks volume. It says all that doesn’t need to be spoken: I love you, I’m sorry, you we’re still amazing.   
As much as you wanted to stay within her embrace, she needs to get ready as it is almost time for her to compete.   
You sit down with your coaches and dreadfully wait for your score. A 15.666 a score that would be amazing for many gymnasts except for a select few like yourself. You know instantly that another medal has escaped your grasp. There we’re still 6 competitors left to go including Aliya, Beth and Gabby. You wanted to watch and support your girlfriend but having to watch your score get beaten was going to be painful. 

You still had beam tomorrow but your chances of medaling are slim and you know it. This moment had just proved how much you had failed these Olympics. 

***  
Aliya’s POV

You wanted to comfort her but you needed to get ready to compete. Beth Tweddle and He Kexin both posted huge scores, 15.916 and 15.966 respectively.   
Beth was the competitor right before you and you’re preparing mentally and physically so you do not hear her score when it is announced. This might turn out to be a blessing.

You take a deep breath before starting your routine. 

You jump and start the routine that will define you for the rest of your life. You hit all your handstands and skills perfectly, making sure not to give the judges any chances to deduct. You start to wind up for your eponymous landing. You let go and let your muscle memory take over.You land perfectly and you can’t help but smile. You’d given it your all and you were hoping it would be enough for gold but you were sure it was good enough for a medal. 

***

Vika’s POV

After her routine, which could not have gone any better, she smiled brighter than you have ever seen from her during competition as she landed her dismount.  
When she steps off the podium, the Russian camp is going crazy as they should be. There’s no way that routine won’t medal. She hugs every coach and is embraced by the other competitors. Eventually she makes her way over to you. She embraces you and does not let go for a long time.

“I’m sorry things didn’t go well for you today Vika. I still love you and I know you will crush it tomorrow during beam finals.” she says as she kisses your cheek.

“Thank you. But it’s not about me anymore. You we’re amazing out there. That was the best routine I’ve ever seen from you.” You say as you hold her tight.

You both let go as she waits for her score. She receives a 16.333. She starts jumping out of joy, something she never does in competition and is embraced by Evgeny. He has put in much work into this routine as well. Every Russian or supporter starts going crazy. She’s in first with only 2 competitors to go. She automatically medals but everyone is certain that it will be gold at this point. She just won Russia’s first Olympic gold in gymnastics. She cannot stop smiling, you can tell how proud of herself she is, as she should be and it warms your heart. 

And as disappointed as you are about your performance you feel so incredibly proud of what your girlfriend has done out there. Olympic champion, the words she never thought she would be capable of speaking after her injury.

After Gabby Douglas makes an error, there’s a smirk that appears on her lips. She accepts a hand shake from one of the coaches. She’s done it and everyone knows it. It’s only a matter of time before it is official. 

When the final scores are posted, the entire arena begins to chant her name. Everyone grabs their stuff and prepares to leave the arena except for the champions. They will stay and receive their medals and will have to give interviews after. 

You know you won’t see Aliya for a while and you’re kind of glad to have time by yourself to be upset and angry before she returns and you have to go to bed early since you both compete tomorrow.

***

Alia’s POV

You, Tweddle and kexin were all on the floor podium waiting for the medal ceremony to start. As you wait to hear your name announced as Olympic champion you look at the other medalists. You were happy for Beth Tweddle for finally winning that Olympic medal that has escaped her grasp for so long. She was 27 years old, which is pretty much unheard of in women’s gymnastics and this was her 3rd and final Olympics. To also win that medal on home soil had to be an amazing feeling for her. You gave her a good round of applause when her name was announced. She was a worthy competitor. He Kexin was the reigning Olympic champion; she put up a good fight that just wasn’t enough to win today. 

Tweddle’s name is announced and the crowd goes crazy since she’s from the host country. She proudly and happily accepts her long awaited Olympic medal. Kexin is announced; she congratulates Tweddle and takes her place on the podium. 

That’s when you hear your own name announced as Olympic champion. You smile and wave to the crowd who are now cheering and applauding you. You congratulate Beth and then He before stepping on top of the podium. You are given your medal and flowers. You can’t help but stare at the gold on your chest and smile. Your eyes fill with tears. As the Russian national anthem fills the arena, you can’t help but replay the long journey you’ve been through to achieve this moment. All the blood, sweat and tears you have shed weren’t for nothing. All the sacrifices: living away from home, early mornings, late nights, diets, etc weren’t in vain. 

You’re no longer angry about your injury. You were finally at peace. Yes, you’ll always wonder what would have been if it had never happen. Could you have won that all-around gold? However, it has made you a better competitor and a stronger person. It has made you more appreciative of your achievements and performances; you can’t help but think that the injury was a blessing in disguise because without it, you probably would not have won gold on this event. Since you couldn’t tumble for months, you and Evgeny went through your routine from start to finish, making it as perfect as can be. In the end, you prevailed and you have never been more proud of anything you’ve ever accomplished.

It all feels so surreal and you wish the moment could go on forever, but you know it can’t and that it won’t so you make sure to soak it in as much as possible.   
You and the other girls stay and take the customary pictures and give the media many interviews. The questions are nearly all the same so by the time you’re done you’re exhausted and ready to go to bed.

You start walking back towards the room you and Vika share. When you reach the door you take a deep breath. You’re nervous to see in what kind of state Vika will be in; she was already in a fragile state because of the all-around. The last thing she needed was more disappointment. You open the door, prepared to be on the supportive girlfriend mode. 

The minute you close the door, your nearly tackled to the ground by Vika who’s is hugging you like her life depends on it.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am of you.” She says. “You were amazing out there; if that wasn’t gold I was going to beat the judges.” She says chuckling. 

You hug the girl back fiercely. You had been on a high since earlier and her scent was pulling you back down to earth. 

“Thank you Viktoria. None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I know this isn’t the fairytale ending you wanted, but your routine was amazing if you count out that mistake. You definitely would have beaten me for gold and everyone knows it.” 

“Well it’s over and past, there’s nothing I can do about it now other than celebrate Russia’s first gymnastics gold medal won by my gorgeous and talented girlfriend. Although, you look like you’re about to pass out. We will save the celebrating for tomorrow night when competition is over.” She says pulling you to bed. 

She helps you get dressed for bed and takes off your make-up for you. What would you do without this girl by your side? She helps you into bed before she gets ready herself. She cuddles up to you like every other night, her head on your chest and her arm around your waist. 

As your about to fall asleep you feel something wet on your chest. You realize that it’s a tear. You knew this was going to happen eventually and knowing she tried to wait till you fell asleep to fall apart as not to take away from your accomplishment warms your heart. 

“Shh it’s going to be ok. You’re going to be ok. You never have to worry about crying in front of me. Let yourself go baby.” You say as you kiss her head.   
She lets out a couple of sobs before succumbing to her fatigue and you’re quick to follow her.

*

The next day, you wake up to an empty bed. Since you did not compete till the afternoon, you got to sleep in a little bit later than usual. Vika on the other hand had Beam finals in the morning and had to get up early. You turn to her side of the bed and find a note.

It says: ‘I didn’t want to wake you up since you’re adorable when you’re sleeping. I just wanted to say I love you and I know you can do this. Go out there and do what you’re capable of. I believe in you. I won’t see you till later tonight but I’ll be there cheering you on. Love Vika xoxo’ 

You were smiling at how sweet your girlfriend was. You decided to go to the arena earlier than the coaches asked you to so you could surprise her and cheer her on. You get ready, go to the cafeteria and grab some food. You eat it on the way to the arena. 

While getting ready you notice your knee is weaker than usual and very sore. Most likely due to how much you have competed within the last couple of days. This worries you as you have floor finals in a couple of hours and will need to run through your routine a couple of times before competing. 

That will be a lot of impact on the joint, but you push the thought out of your head. You’ll just ice it before competition. 

You finally arrive at the arena. Vika is set to compete in 5 minutes. You find a spot and scream out her name. It wasn’t hard for her to know it was you since most spectators were English and did not know Russian. She immediately lifts her head and sees you. She smiles and her body visibly relaxes. You can’t risk shouting but you mouth the words ‘I love you’ to her with a wink. 

She smile and nods her head. It’s her turn to compete. You’re more nervous watching her than competing yourself. 

She has a couple of balance checks and then disaster strikes and she falls off beam. That’s it. She won’t medal on beam and won’t be able to redeem herself for her all-around silver. And it’s too bad since her routine was spot on. Her standing Arabian was beautiful and so were her connections. Your heart is breaking for her. She gets back on and finishes her routine and you can tell she has no fight left in her. She sits on her Patterson dismount. 

She scores a 13.166 and finishes in 8th. She will be inconsolable later. You decide to take one final look at the scoreboard so it will fuel your desire to win this afternoon and avenge her. 

You notice there is a tie between Catalina Ponor and Alexandra Raisman for the bronze medal and the Americans have submitted an inquiry about Raisman’s difficulty score. The entire arena is tense waiting whether it will be accepted or not.

You’re silently praying that Raisman who qualified 1st and Ponor will be tired for floor finals that afternoon. It might give you a chance to get somewhat closer to their scores since you qualified last. 

The scoreboard flashes saying the inquiry was accepted and Raisman’s score was changed, making her the owner of an Olympic beam bronze medal and her first individual Olympic medal. 

You still have time before training since many competitors were in beam finals. You decide to try to go find Vika. You search everywhere but you find her sitting on a bench in a secluded corner in the changing room. 

“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I wanted to find you before I have to go get ready for floor finals.” You say as you take a seat beside her.   
You put your arms around her and she puts her head on your shoulder while she lets out a loud sigh.

“I’m sorry Vika.” You say as you plant a kiss to her temple.

“Not your fault.” She says with a loud sniffle. 

***

Vika’s POV

You stay like that for a couple of minutes. When you can’t to take any more misery you decide to change the subject.

“How did you sleep? I hope I didn’t wake you up this morning.” 

“I slept really well. Thank you for the note. It was almost as adorable as your face.” She says before kissing your nose.

“You’re so cheesy.” You say while laughing. You love this side of her.

“Whatever.” She says and sticks out her tongue at you. 

“How are you feeling? You ready for this afternoon” you ask.

You see a small flicker of worry and uncertainty in her eyes and you start to panic.

“What’s wrong Aliya? Don’t tell me it’s nothing. I know you better than that.” You say with a sense of urgency and authority.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you. My knee has been bothering me the last couple of days. Its weak and it hurts.” She says as she gets up and pastes back and forth.

That’s when you notice her small limp.

“Did you tell Alexandrov?” you ask.

“Of course I didn’t tell him. He wouldn’t let me compete if I did. What if these are the only Olympics I ever go to? I’m not withdrawing. I’m going to see this till the very end.” She says with determination radiating off her. 

“Please Aliya, take care of yourself and be careful.”You practically beg. You get up kiss her and hug her before she has to leave. 

You wish her luck and decide to quote Shakespeare from a book you read in school.

“Aliya don’t forget ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ You are definitely great.”

She smiles and kisses your cheek before leaving.

***

Aliya’s POV

You make your way to the other athletes and to the training area. You join Ksenia who is also competing floor. She’s the reigning world champion on this event and you pray that she will win. 

She just competed on beam and also did not compete to the best of her ability. So when you reach her you envelop her in a hug. She lets out a muffled sob.   
“Kushya everything is going to be ok. Do you know why? Because you’re the reigning world champion and you’re going to go out there and remind everyone. You can do this. I believe in you.” You say and she hugs you a little harder.

“Thank you Alka. I really needed that.” She says with a smile on her face.

You squeeze her hand before finding a place to practice. You run through your routines a couple of times, each time it gets better with Alexandrov’s help. You knee is also holding up, barely any weakness and the pain is manageable. 

You take a small break to rehydrate and watch the other competitors practicing. Ksenia is doing well, if she hits she could land on the podium. That’s when you see Raisman start her routine. That first tumbling pass is a work of art. It’s so incredibly hard and she hits it every time.

You turn your head and see Ponor training. You can’t believe her skill and difficulty at her age after coming back from taking a whole quad off. This is going to be a blood bath.

You break is about to finish when Ksenia makes her way over to you with a look of concern on her face. 

“What’s wrong ksenia?” you ask

“I just got a text from Vika telling me to check up on you. Why didn’t you tell me your knee was bothering you?” she says. She’s genuinely concerned but also mad.

You exhale loudly and your head drops. You put your hands on your hips as you try to collect your thoughts. You didn’t want anyone to know about your knee but you also know that Vika is concerned about your well-being. 

“To be fair I didn’t tell anyone other than Vika. Not even Alexandrov, so you can’t tell him. My knee has been good so far today. It’s holding up and the pain is manageable. So you can’t tell anyone.” Your voice is authoritative but your eyes are pleading. 

“Don’t worry about it. Your secret is safe with me but please be careful.”This time her eyes are pleading. 

You nod and go back to practice. When you’re done you and Ksenia get massages and relax for a bit. 

You gather with the other competitors and walk into the arena. You salute to the judges and wait to perform.

Ksenia is up first so while everyone walks off the podium you take a minute to wish her luck and then walk off. 

You were so sad, knowing that Ksenia would not be medaling. She’s worked so hard and has overcome so much to get here. These are her 2nd Olympic games, a hard feat to achieve in women’s gymnastics. They will probably also be her last. It pains you to know she most likely will never achieve her Olympic dreams.  
You aren’t set to compete anytime soon, so you take the opportunity to comfort her. While calming her down you watch Wieber. 

These have not been Jordyn Wieber’s Olympics either. She came in the favorite to win and she didn’t even qualify to the all-around. She did however qualify to floor finals but after many steps out of bounds, it is clear she won’t be bringing home any individual medals. You felt bad for the girl since she works just as hard as you guys do but after everything Vika went through after last year’s world championships, your pity doesn’t last very long. 

The other routines go by in a blur. You don’t watch so that it won’t affect you. You hear your name shouted and see Vika in the audience. You see her mouth ‘Are you ok? Your knee?’

You smile and nod yes. She mouths ‘I love you’ and you laugh while winking at her. 

You take off your warm up suit and get ready. You’re the 7th competitor to go. You step out there and give it all you’ve got. If these were to be your only Olympics, you would leave it all out on the floor. 

***

Vika’s POV

You take a deep breath as she starts her routine. She attacks everything and gives nothing but a small step on a landing. She finishes her routine without injury. You cheer for her with everything you’ve got. You can see it on her smiling face, she’s content. She had the Olympic games of her life. The ones she thought impossible after Euros last year. You couldn’t be any more proud. 

Now all there’s left to do is wait for the score and the final competitor who happens to be the reigning Olympic floor champion.

***

Aliya’s POV

As you walk off the mat, you can’t help but smile. You had done it. You proved everyone who doubted you wrong.

You hug Alexandrov who is smiling to.

“Guess I showed Valentina eh?” you say laughing.

“You definitely showed that bitch.” He says and you can’t help but shake your head.

Raisman happens to be near the podium and hugs you. You hug her back and congratulate her and give her a thumbs up before walking away.  
You score a 14.900, the same score as Vanessa Ferrari but because your execution is higher you’re now in 3rd and she drops down to 4th with 1 last competitor to go.

Sandra performs a beautiful routine but falls on her last tumbling pass. That will do it. You are now the proud owner of an Olympic bronze on floor. 

***

Vika’s POV

You start to jump when you realize she’s done it again. Another medal goes to Russia. You heart was breaking for Ksenia though. You will console her later but want to stay for the medal ceremony.

***

Aliya’s POV

You wait with Raisman and Ponor to receive your medals. You would leave as the most decorated female gymnast of these games. 

You liked Raisman for her sportsmanship. You were as happy as you could be for an American for winning on floor. She deserved it after that routine and after the disappointment of not medaling in the all-around when she should have. 

You respected Ponor for coming out of retirement after 4 years off to help her country win 2 medals. This is a little girls sport and she was clearly a lady.  
You gave them both a good hand of applause when they received there medals.

You never understood why there had to be tie-breakers though. If there's a tie the medal should be shared. This is the 2nd time you've ended in a tie in a competition for 3rd, this time against the Italian Vanessa Ferrari. Once again you walk away with the medal leaving the other girl broken hearted. 

You go and give the media the customary interviews.

When you’re done, you go search for your princess.

***

Vika’s POV

You were on such a high that it was almost as if you had won the medal yourself. You had tears in your eyes watching her receive her medal. The one she least expected and the one that will make her go down in history as the most decorated gymnast of these games. 

You took advantage of her having to go give interviews to find Ksenia. You spend time in her room comforting her when you have to ask.

“How mad was she that I told you?” you say nervously and guiltily.

“She didn’t seem that mad but she might have been bottling it up like she does with most of her emotions. She also probably didn’t want to raise questions with Alexander. She did seem a bit frustrated but I imagine it has more to do with the situation than with you. She knows you were just looking out for her. At least you didn’t tell Alexandrov. I never saw any sign that she was in pain.” 

“That’s Aliya alright. She’s always so scared to let anyone in. Sometimes I wonder if she will ever truly let me in.”

“Viktoria, do you really not realize the effect you have had on Aliya since you guys have gotten together? I’ve never seen her so happy. With you, she’s able to let loose and act her age. She doesn’t need to be Aliya the 2010 world champion. She can be herself. Whenever I find her looking at you, all I can see in her eyes is pure adoration. I think she’s finally found something, or should I say someone that she loves more than gymnastics.”

You’ve got tears in your eyes from Ksenia’s speech. You knew Aliya loved you, but you always doubted if you were the right thing for her.

You hear someone clear their throat and turn around to see Aliya standing against the door frame.

“She’s right you know.” Aliya says.

“I’m going to go hang out with Masha and let you guys talk.” Ksenia says.

“Just don’t have sex on my bed.” She says laughing as she’s running out the door before either of you can answer.

“We need to have a little talk.” Aliya says 

“I know. Look I’m sorry I told Ksenia about your knee. I was just worried about you and wanted to make sure you were okay.” You admit. You can’t bring yourself to look her in the eyes so you settle for looking at the floor.

“Look at me Vika. I’m not angry with you. Do you know why? Because you were coming from a place of love. You were just looking out for my best interests and it means the world to me. I love you like I’ve never loved anything in this world.” She says.

“Maybe even as much as my 2010 world gold” she says with a grin.

Once again I’m left with tears in my eyes. This seems to have happened a lot these past 2 weeks. However, I wouldn’t trade these happy tears for anything in the world. 

I wrap my arms around her muscular frame. She embraces me back. This is the place I consider home.

“I love you too.”I say. 

"I know I already told you, but I'm so proud of what you did out there during the games. You gave Russia its first gymnastics gold medal in 12 years and its only gymnastics gold medal of these games. You’re also the most decorated gymnast of these Olympics. You proved everyone who doubted you wrong.”

“Thank you Vika. Let’s go back to our room and get ready to go out and celebrate.” 

She kisses you before grabbing your hand and leading you to your room.

***

Vika’s MOM POV 

It was the last night, all the Russian gymnasts and many more athletes go to the Russian house to celebrate. It’s the girl’s only chance to enjoy themselves since the gymnasts leave the next morning and not the day after closing ceremonies. It was great because you finally got to spend some time with your daughter and Aliya who was now a part of your family.

You had gone to all of your daughter’s events cheering her on from the Russian zone. You we’re so incredibly proud of how she handled herself but you were sad that she didn’t get the happy ending she wanted. You could only imagine how hard these games were on Vika. You can’t help but be grateful for Aliya, because you know it’s thanks to her that Vika isn’t broken and that she will be the one to help her through this. You weren’t sure about their relationship at first, this was Russia after all. You soon changed your mind after seeing how in love Vika was and how much Aliya adored her. All you needed to do was look into her eyes for that confirmation. 

You had spent time with the five girls on the team telling them how well they represented Russia and how proud of them you were. Eventually you were left with only your daughter and her girlfriend.

It felt like it had been forever since you had seen and spent time with your daughter. You kept hugging her and kissing her head and telling her how much you loved her as Aliya looked on lovingly. 

It really was great spending time with them. Vika eventually excused herself to go to the bathroom. Aliya offered to go with her so she wouldn’t have to be alone but she told her to spend time with me instead.

I took advantage of the situation to speak with her without Vika there. There’s something you wanted to get off your chest and you would bring it up soon enough after some small talk.

“Could you’re parents not get the time off work to come watch you?” You say

“My parents are superstitious so they never come watch me compete, but I’m glad you were here to support Vika. I know how much it means to her to have you here.” Aliya says 

“Thank you Aliya. Not just for saying that but for everything I’m sure you’ve done these past 2 weeks. If it wasn’t for you, Viktoria would probably be in some remote part of the village crying and beating herself up for what she believes are failures. I only hope that one day she realizes how much she has accomplished and is proud of those accomplishments.” There are tears in my eyes as I’m saying this. 

Aliya places a gentle reassuring hand on my forearm.

“You’re welcome. And I’m going to spend every day of my life making sure that Viktoria knows that.”

This girl is wise beyond her years and you are happy to have her a apart of your family. You take her hand and give it a squeeze before Vika comes back.  
She kisses her girlfriend on the cheek and whispers something in her ear that causes the older girl to smile and her eyes to twinkle.

They each give you a kiss on the cheek before heading out to have their own celebration.

***

Aliya’s POV

You had decided to spend your last couple of hours together in the garden and watch the sunrise. It was weird to think that the Olympics you had trained for your whole lives, was now over.

Your Olympics had been a dream; you couldn’t have done any better. You had absolutely no regrets, but you knew Vika did and that worried you.

You had spent the night celebrating at the Russian house with the team and many other athletes. You also got to spend time with Vika’s mom. It had done Viktoria some good to finally spend time with her mom and you were glad she had come to support her. Overall it had been a good night spent with good people.

However, you wanted to spend some time alone, just the two of you. So you walked hand in hand through the athlete’s village trying to soak up as much of the experience as possible. 

“I wonder what’s going to happen when we get home.” She says. There’s doubt and fear in her voice, her hand also gripped yours a little harder without realizing it.

You knew she was worried so you stopped walking so you could look her in the eyes.

“There’s no need to worry Vika. They’re not going to hate you because you got silver. We didn’t get any medals in Beijing, we got 6 in London. Svetlana Khorkina never won all-around gold and everyone still adores her. They will love you just the same. As for what’s going to happen when we go home, there will be lots of media appearances. Then we get to go home for a bit and then we go to Mallorca as usual. “you say as you squeeze her hand reassuringly. 

“Thank you alka.” She says as she plants a loving kiss onto your cheek.

“You’re welcome.” You say as you kiss her forehead.

You keep walking until you reach the garden. You sit on that same bench, but this time the atmosphere is different. You have your arm around your girlfriend who is completely at ease as you watch the sun rise.

“Mallorca should be fun. I love it there. It’s always so warm and sunny.” She says smiling. 

“And I get to see you in a bikini. Mallorca is my new favorite place.” You say cheekily. 

She slaps your arm in admonishment before she starts laughing.

“That goes both ways beautiful.” She says as she plants a sloppy kiss on your lips.

You look at her and smile. She still had a long way to go but she was going to be ok.

“Why are you smiling like that?” she asks.

“I’m happy.” You respond and now she’s the one smiling.

She rests her head on your shoulder and says:

“I’ll love you always.”

You kiss the top of her head before adding:

“And I’ll love you forever.”


	5. 5

Aliya’s POV

The girls were on their way to Majorca, Spain for recovery and light training. It’s the Russian gymnastic federation’s idea of a vacation. 

You still had to work and train but a free month in Spain with your friends is always something to look forward to. You were looking forward to spending time with your girl. Hopefully you could start to help her recover psychologically from these Olympic Games. Although you believed she has nothing to be ashamed of, you could tell she had a different opinion. It pains you to see her think she failed them 100% for herself and for Russia. 

However, you were happy to see how excited she was to be on “vacation”. All the media you had to do once you got back had taken its toll on her. Constantly being reminded of something you want to forget isn’t a pleasant feeling. You understood this perfectly as you glanced at your knee.

You were on your way to the hotel after a somewhat short flight. Everyone was buzzing with energy. Once there, the coaches give you your keys and tell you that you have an 8am practice the next morning and leave you to get settled. You had been paired up with Vika. What a surprise. She grabs you by the hand and pulls you all the way to your room laughing. When you’re in your room she takes all her clothes off and you choke on the sip of water you were taking. 

She looks at you with a smirk and you raise your eyebrows in confusion and slightly suggestively. It was only 11 am after all. 

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s a beautiful day in Spain. We’re going to the beach so put on that sexy bikini of yours.” Now she’s the one raising her eyebrows.   
You laugh but comply and as your getting changed you see her sitting on the bed looking at you.

“Enjoying the show?” you smirk

“Very much so” She says with her eyes twinkling.

Once you’re changed she makes her way over to you and puts your arms around your neck. 

You hug for what seems like an eternity until you hear someone banging on the door.

“You guys can’t already be having sex, we just got here.” Tatianna yells and you can hear both Ksenia’s laughing along with Masha. 

You break apart to go open the door and let them in.

“Really funny Tatianna. We’re saving that for tonight” you say with a smirk and slap Vika on the butt.

She yelps in surprise and all the other girls roll their eyes. 

“Alright love birds let head to the beach.” Tatiana says laughing and you all head out of your room. 

It was your first day in Spain so naturally everyone was spending it at the beach. Relaxing on a beautiful beach with your beautiful girlfriend, could life be any better. 

You decided the beach was your new favorite date location as you got to put sunscreen all over her back.

“Why do I have a feeling you’re enjoying yourself way to much by putting sunscreen on my back” She says chuckling.

“Well I’m just trying to make sure you don’t get a sunburn. I’m doing this for your well being.” You say with a smirk on your face.

She gets up and playfully and lovingly smacks your arm. She pushes you down on your stomach.

“My turn, I can’t let you have all the fun now can I.” she says and you can’t help but burst out laughing.

“Of course not.” You say as your eyes close and your breathing slows down from her lathering sunscreen onto your back. 

The feel of her hands combined with the heat of the sun and a cool summer breeze is so relaxing that you end up falling asleep.  
You were enjoying your nap until you were rudely awakened by a bucket of cold water and your giggling girlfriend.

***

Vika’s POV

She was lying there so peacefully but your inner prankster couldn’t help it. You had borrowed a bucket from someone and now everyone was hiding from the outburst you know Aliya will have.

You walked down to the ocean and filled the bucket with its cold water. You made your way to your girlfriends sleeping body and poured its content’s all over her.She awakens with a start. She’s looking around to see who would dare to have committed such an act. Seeing her fuming, you can’t help but bend over in laughter. 

“You did not just do that” her tone of voice is cold.

You gulp.

Her eyes are blazing and turn into a dark abyss. You’re nervous and scared at what she might do or say. Maybe this wasn’t the best of ideas after all.   
That’s when her lips form into the biggest smirk you’ve ever seen from her. She picks you up and puts you over her shoulder and walks to the sea.

“Well since I’m wet already, I figured I’d return the favor.” She throws you into the sea.

You’re dumbfounded when you surface. Aliya is in full blown hysterics. This is a side of her you’ve seen so few times and never in public, a carefree and young Aliya letting go and acting her own age. You decide to take advantage of it and begin a splash war with her. Eventually she grows restless and picks you up and you put your arms and legs around her like a koala. In this moment, you aren’t Olympic level athletes. Your just two teenagers head over heels in love. She puts you down as you march out of the ocean holding hands. You decide to go for a walk down the beach. You find this secluded spot at the end of the beach. It’s a cliff with a beautiful view of the ocean. You both decide to come back that night to watch the sunset. 

* 

Later that day

You had just come back from the beach and decided to take a nap before getting ready for a team dinner. You had never felt more at home than when you were within Aliya’s strong arms. You managed to find a bit of sleep within her warm embrace. You wake up when you feel her moving and you hear her mumbling ‘No’ continually in her sleep. 

You panic when you notice her body was covered in sweat. She was having a nightmare. Shit! She hadn’t had one in months and you wonder when they had come back. 

You hadn’t slept in the same bed for 3 weeks since you weren’t in Round Lake. You gently try to wake her up.

She awaken’s in a panic. She’s breathing as hard as if she had just done her bar routine. 

You put your arms around her and rub her back until she calms down. 

“When?” You ask her. She knows what you’re talking about without asking.

“A couple of nights after we got back from London. I didn’t want you to worry. You had enough on your plate than to worry about my nightmares.” She says kind of guiltily. 

 

“Aliya, I don’t care what I have going on in my life. If something is wrong or bothering you I want you to talk to me about it. What are they about?” You say reassuringly.   
You continue rubbing her back, you can tell whatever it was, bothered her deeply. You don’t push her to talk about it; you know she will when she’s ready.   
She looks up at you and her eyes betray her fear. So you plant a kiss on her forehead.

“I dreamed I got hurt again. That gymnastics was truly over for me and that I got kicked out of round lake. Since I wasn’t good enough and we couldn’t be together you left me.” She has a hard time admitting that last part. 

You stare at her dumbfounded. You feel like someone has just slapped you out of nowhere. You rub the back of your neck as you process what she has just told you. 

She is subconsciously rubbing her knee. Makes you wonder if it’s still bothering her. 

“Aliya, even if you do injure yourself and can never do gymnastics again I will be by your side. I will always be there to take care of you. I will never leave you. I love you. You are enough and you always will be. Never forget that. It’s you and me; always and forever remember?” 

She has tears going down her face. 

You can’t help but think the stress of having to take care of you was what set her off. You were going to work on that but you’d also be keeping a close eye on your girlfriend. 

“Let’s go and take a shower before we have to meet the girls for dinner. You smell like sweat and they might get the wrong idea.” You say.

She’s about to respond when you take your shirt off and you hear her gulp. You wink at her before heading off towards the bathroom. You hear her laugh before you hear her walking towards you.

***

Aliya’s POV

You just had the most amazing dinner of your life. You loved the food in Spain and since you guys were technically on a ‘holiday’; you could eat whatever your heart desired. You and the rest of the girls had spent most of it crying from laughter. Viktoria kept a hand on your leg pretty much the entire time. She was trying to comfort you without raising questions. She was glancing at you every chance she could get. She would lean over and kiss your cheek or temple or she would whisper something in your ear. Thankfully, you were out to your friends and family and they had accepted you.

You decided to go back to the little spot you had found earlier and go watch the sunset. You walked hand in hand and talked about what you’ve been up too the past 3 weeks even though you had talked on the phone every night. You had brought a blanket with you in your bag, and when you reached what would become your spot you set it on the ground and sat on it. You motioned Vika over, meaning for her to sit between your legs. Seems she had something else in mind and you end up between her legs with your back to her front. She wraps her arms around your waist and rests her chin on your shoulder as you look out at the blending of sea and sky.

“How is it that when I should be helping you through a hard situation, you’re the one comforting me?” 

“Because I love you and because you need it. You’ve helped me through so much these past couple of weeks and I can’t help but feel the stress behind it is the reason you’re having nightmares again. I know you like to handle things on your own but you don’t have to be the strong one all the time. It’s okay for you to feel and show emotions. It doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human.” She says as she kisses your head.

***

Vika’s POV

Usually you were the one wrapped in Aliya’s strong arms, but today you knew she needed the reassurance. Behind her stoic facade was a truly vulnerable girl with walls up to protect her. You settle into silence for a while. You notice Aliya’s body tense up and her eyes become distant.

“What are you thinking about?” 

“My past mostly. For the longest time I ran from way from the pain, because I was afraid. Today I realized that the past is always with us, and its time I stop running from mine.” 

She turns around in your embrace kisses you gently. It was an understanding that what we shared is all we will ever need.

***

Aliya’s POV

Couple of days later

“Please sit down Miss Mustafina.” The doctor says. 

So you take a seat in front of his desk. You had tests done on your knee a couple of days before leaving for Spain at Alexandrov’s insistence. 

“Well all things considered, your knee is doing fairly well. There’s still some therapy to be done since a few corners had to be cut in order for you to compete at the Olympics. It seems you have a decision to make. In my professional opinion, you can keep training and competing. It will be hard and it will be painful sometimes. It won’t be an easy road but if you wish to continue in gymnastics, it’s entirely possible for now.”

You don’t even know what to say. He takes advantage of your silence to continue.

“However, I want you to keep going to therapy since your knee isn’t fully healed yet and you want to maximize its strength while you can.” 

He gets up and you shake his hand. You turn to Alexandrov who is sitting next to you and he says:

“It’s up to you Alka, I can’t make this decision for you. Take some time and think it over while were here. You can tell me your answers once were home.”  
You nod and leave the office. 

After the injury, you had never given a single thought to what you would do after London. 

It turns out you really did have a decision to make, a hard one at that. 

***

Aliya’s POV

“Semy can I talk to you for a minute?” you ask.

There’s a look of confusion going around the room.

“Sure” To the other girls she says “Well catch up later”. 

Once the girls have left the room, she asks you:

“What’s up Aliya? Is everything ok?” she asks worryingly. 

“Yeah everything’s fine but I want your advice and opinion on something before I talk to Vika about it. If you could have continued gymnastics, would you have

“Where is this coming from Aliya?” Her voice and face betray her curiosity and concern. 

“I had a doctor’s appointment today about my knee and future in gymnastics and I have a decision to make. Vika is struggling right now and I don’t want this to interfere with the decision she needs to make. So, if your back would have been fine, would you have kept competing?” 

“Ah ok, I get where your coming from now. Vika is one hell of a lucky girl to have you. To answer your question, yes I would have kept competing. I felt and still feel like I had so much more to do in the sport. I might have even tried to go for Rio. Now I have to settle with coaching you girls all the way there. Sometimes I wake up in the morning with a yearning to go train. So whatever decision you need to make, make sure to think it through and to weigh your options. Because that’s a feeling I would never wish on anyone except maybe the Americans” she adds with a smirk.

You can’t help but laugh. 

“Thank you Semy, I still got some thinking to do but you’ve really helped. Vika isn’t the lucky one; I am for having such an amazing girl in my life.”Your eyes twinkle when thinking of her.

“You are totally whipped.” She teases as she smacks your arm. “But seriously, I’ve never seen you so happy and I’m glad. You deserve to be.” She says smiling her cheeks blushing. She doesn’t know how you will react to her honesty and teasing.

You walk over and hug the older girl hard.

“Thank you Ksenia. I’m glad your back with the team, things just weren’t the same without you here.”

You decide to take a walk along the beach. You think about what the doctor said and about what Ksenia told you. You’ve pretty much made up your mind but you still need to talk to Vika. 

***

Vika’s POV

She walks into your room and finds the note in the shape of a heart on your bed. It tells her to join you in the training gym. She doesn’t even hesitate and heads to the gym. However, she can’t help but wonder why you want to meet her in the gym at night. She finally arrives and walks through the doors. The lights are off and while her eyes are adjusting to the darkness you say:

“I’m at the beams.”   
So she walks over and finds you sitting on the closest beam. She takes a seat beside you.

“What are you doing here? Why am I here?” she asks. Her face shows her curiosity but her voice betrays her nervousness.

“Aliya, we need to talk.” Her eyes widen and panic registers across her face.

“Don’t worry this isn’t me breaking up with you.” You reassure her as you grab her hands.

She sighs and her body loses its tension. 

“But there is something we need to talk about. You already know how proud I am of what you accomplished in London this summer. I however can’t help but feel like I failed. I can’t help but wonder if I have what it takes for gymnastics. I keep coming up short and I don’t know how much more I can take. I’ve been wondering whether I should continue. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot since London but I also wanted to talk to you before I make any decisions.” 

Her mouth opens but nothing comes out. She is clearly shocked and speechless, something that doesn’t happen very often. 

“If you quit, where does that leave us?” Her voice trembling at that last bit.

“Hey, don’t worry. I love you and I’m not going anywhere yet. I just want to be honest with you about how I feel. If anyone should have any say in this, it’s you.” 

“I promised to support you no matter what so whatever decision you make I will accept it. For what it matters, I think you’re an amazing gymnast and have so much gymnastics left in you. I can understand why you doubt your future in the sport. What I’m telling you is not too. You’re an incredible athlete and I believe in you. I think you should wait a couple of months before making the decision since we won’t start heavy training till after Christmas.” She kisses both your cheeks, your lips, your nose and places a lingering kiss on your forehead. 

“You make a valid point about it only being light training so I’m going to continue for now. Especially if it means waking up to your beautiful bed hair every day.” You laugh.

She smacks your arm for being cheeky. However this makes you off balance and you start to fall off, she tries to steady you but ends up falling herself. Thankfully you land on her. You both start laughing hysterically. You take the advantage of being on top and tickle her, however you’ve always been quite small and she reverses the position and returns the favor. She clearly had gotten the fighter gene from her father and clearly a few moves as well. After you’re both done laughing and kissing you decide to return back to your room. 

You both get ready for bed. When Aliya slips into bed you snuggle up to her. That’s when it comes to you. 

“Aliya?”

“Yeah babe?” she says as she puts her arms around your waist and rubs the small of your back. 

“I forgot to ask you something serious back in the gym.” 

She props herself on her elbow and looks you in the eyes telling you to go on.

“What do you want to do? Do you want to continue gymnastics for the next quad and try for Rio? Because I know you’re still having issues with your knee because you rushed your rehab as much as you could to be ready in time for London.” 

“I was actually meaning to tell you about this but haven’t found the time. Alexandrov made me see a doctor before we came here. We did a bunch of tests to see how my knee was doing. I actually had the follow up appointment this morning since the doctor is here on conference. He told me that it won’t be easy but that I can keep training if that’s what I want to do. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, I didn’t want to worry you or influence your decision in anyway.”

“It’s ok Aliya, I understand. What do you want to do?”

“London went better than I thought it ever could after my injury. Having almost lost gymnastics forever, made me fall in love with it all over again. Alexandrov and I have already talked about the fact that during light training he wants me seeing sports therapists again since we had to cut a few corners trying to get me ready for London. I don’t know if I’m going to try for Rio but for now I’m going to stick around and see if my body can take it. It’s easier to stay and leave if you don’t like it anymore than to leave and then realize you made a mistake and try to come back. I know my body and the minute I stop, that’s it, there won’t ever be a comeback.” 

She seems at peace with this decision and her way of thinking makes sense. You’ll make sure to keep that in mind. You both go to sleep so you’ll be well rested for tomorrow morning’s practice. 

***

Aliya’s POV

It had been a couple of days since you had your heart to heart and everything was going great. Vika seemed like her old self. It was Saturday night which meant you could stay up late since theres no practice on Sunday’s. You look for Vika everywhere but you can’t find her anywhere.

You finally find her sitting in what has become your spot looking out at the sea. The sun was setting and it was going to be a full moon tonight. This is it. This is the night you tell yourself. You take the biggest deep breath of your life and start making your way towards her. 

“So this is where you’ve been hiding” you tease with a smirk.

“I’m not hiding. If I was you never would have found me” She teases back with the beautiful smile of hers she only shows to you.

“If it helps you sleep at night, of course my love.” 

“It’s a beautiful night Alka. Almost as beautiful as you.” She says smiling

“You stole my line, and yes it is.” 

You position yourself in front of her and take a deep breath to settle your nerves. 

“Do you remember when I found you in the garden after the all-around? I had spent almost 2 hours trying to find you. You didn’t hear me screaming your name because you were staring at the full moon. That night, I made you the very same promise you had made me months earlier in my room. To always be there whenever you need me. Forever. Since that first night I spent holding you in my arms I’ve never been happier. I was in an awful place after my knee injury and I never thought I would find myself again. I always felt like I was missing something in my life, it wasn’t until our first kiss that I figured out what I had been missing in my heart, was your love. That’s something I never want to have to live without. Tonight I once again find you outside starring at the full moon. That’s why I think it’s the best time to do this.”

You get down on one knee in front of her and grab her hands.

“Vika I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Your eyes are filled with tears and your lips are trembling as you take the ring out of your pocket:

“Will you marry me?”You ask.

You tell her to inspect the inside of the ring. You had spent weeks trying to find the right one since London. When you finally did you had a special message engraved on the inside of it. Inscribed is the promise you made to one another. 

She lifts it to her face to inspect it as told. Her eyes well up with tears.

“Yes” she answers all chocked up.

You slip the ring onto her finger. She was finally yours. You hug her and kiss her with all the passion your body can muster.You both look into each other’s eyes.

“Always” she says.

You rub her ring finger with your thumb, you lift her hand to your face and kiss the sign of your eternal love and respond:

“And forever”.


	6. 6

Vika’s POV

You had woken up alone for the first time in a long time. You smile knowing that after today you will never be alone again. As you lay in bed looking out at the beautiful scenery outside, you can’t help but replay moments that you’ve shared over these past years. All of a sudden you hear someone knock on the door and you are brought back down to reality. You tell whoever it is that they can come in.

It’s your mom being her classic emotional self. She starts rambling about your childhood and gymnastics when her face turns serious.

“What’s wrong Mom?” you ask.

“This is never what I had pictured for your wedding day. The only thing that is exactly how I pictured it is that you’re marrying someone who is crazy in love with you and I couldn’t be any happier. She will keep you safe and will put your happiness above all else. She’s smart, beautiful, talented, kind and caring. There isn’t much more that a mother could want for their child. I just wanted you to know how much I love you and that I wish you two a lifetime of happiness. Also, I didn’t want to do this later and ruin both our makeup.”

You both start laughing at how true that statement is. You both have happy tears going down your face at this point. You hug for what seems and eternity.

“Thank you. For everything you’ve ever done for me. For believing in my dreams and helping me achieve them. For accepting who I am and who I love. I love you.” You whisper in her ear.

She hugs you a little tighter before letting go.

“You’re welcome my darling, and I love you too. I always will because no matter how old you get, you’ll always be my little girl.”

She says as she kisses your cheek. You both get up and start to get ready for what will surely be a long and emotional day.

***

Aliya’s POV

You woke up to an empty bed and it was not a feeling that you particularly enjoyed. You were used to being intertwined with Viktoria’s body. You make your way to the balcony attached to your hotel room and order a coffee from room service. When it is delivered, you sit outside admiring the view and sipping what Vika calls your drug and if you were being honest it was half true. Sure you were clearly addicted to it, but the only drug in your life was Viktoria. Being around her had you on a constant high. You couldn’t believe that in a couple of hours, she would finally be yours. You had gone through so much together and you couldn’t imagine life without her.

You were crying happy tears when your sister walks into your room and envelops you in a hug.

“Words cannot describe how happy I am for you. You may have never believed it but you deserve this Alka. Viktoria will have gained a wonderful wife.” She says gently before kissing your cheek.

“I love you too.” You say.

* 

You’re parents had walked you down the aisle. You we’re on the altar waiting for her to arrive. You’re palms are sweaty and you can barely contain your nerves. That’s when you turn around and see her in her wedding dress being walked down the aisle by her father. She is so beautiful that it takes your breath away. You’re eyes are watering up and you let out the biggest smile of your life. People always ask you what’s been the best moment of your life, becoming the world all-around champion in 2010 or becoming the 2012 Olympic bars champion? Well after today, the best moment of your life will be this moment. Seeing the girl you love more than you ever could love anything in this world, walking towards you about to become your beautiful bride.

***

Vika’s POV

_It’s time! You’ve never felt more excited in your life. You father walks into the room._

_“You look beautiful Viktoria. I’m so proud of you and I love you with all my heart.”He says his voice trembling as he presses a kiss to your forehead._

_You put your arm in his as he leads you to the beach and finally down the aisle._

You look up and see her smile brighter than when she won worlds and the Olympics. Her eyes are also watery. Your breath hitches as you see how gorgeous she looks standing there waiting for you. You finally arrive at the altar and your father gives you away to Aliya.

“She’s your responsibility now Aliya. Take care of my little girl” He says as he kisses her cheek.

“I will.” She barely manages to choke out.

“You look absolutely stunning Vika.” She whispers in your ear as she kisses your cheek lovingly.

PRIEST: We are gathered here today on the very beach that Aliya proposed to Viktoria. They chose this location because for them, it signifies a beginning. It is the beginning to the rest of their lives together. True love doesn’t happen right away; it’s an ever-growing process. It develops after you’ve gone through many ups and downs, when you’ve suffered together, cried together and laughed together. Someone once said that true love never dies; it only gets stronger with time. Getting to know Viktoria and Aliya these past couple of months has shown me how true that is. Their love is one that will last throughout time.

Aliya's vows: Viktoria when I first met you, alexandrov told me that you would beat me if I didn't train hard enough. Back then that was my motivation in the gym. Now seeing you on that podium, even if it’s ahead of me, nothing makes me prouder than sharing that journey with you. You’re a worthy partner inside and outside of the gym. We had a rough start to our relationship and we also went through some tough times, but yet our love was and is strong enough to lead us here. I used to run away from pain because I was afraid, but with you by my side I don’t feel like I have to run anymore. You give me the strength and courage to face anything because I know I’ll never be alone again. You are my best friend and the love of my life. You make me feel safe, happy, supported but most importantly you make me feel loved. It's your love that has gotten me here. My heart belongs to you, as it will always & forever.

Vika's vows: When we finally decided to give us a shot, I made you a promise. Well today, in front of our friends and family I once again make you that very promise. I promise to always love you, to cherish you, to support your dreams, to comfort you when needed, to never turn my back on you and to make you feel safe. That same promise you made me that night in London and Majorca. After London, I struggled to find myself and where I belonged. You found me in a garden in the Olympic village on a night much like this one. You made me feel like I had a future when I thought my world was falling apart, when I was falling apart. You took care of me, guided me but you also supported me in my decisions. My heart is yours now, as it always will be, forever” You both can’t help it and you have tears going down your faces. You’re both so thankful that waterproof make-up exists.

Priest: Aliya do you take Viktoria to be you’re lawfully wedded wife?

Aliya: I do.

Priest: Do you Viktoria take Aliya to be you’re lawfully wedded wife?

Viktoria: I do.

PRIEST: It is my pleasure to now pronounce you married. You may kiss your bride. The entire crowd erupts into cheers as you share your first kiss as spouses. You walk down the aisle and take the customary wedding pictures with your family, wedding party, and your teammates which composed most of your wedding party. You then make your way towards the tent where your wedding reception is being held. The crowd erupts into cheers when your entrance is announced and many pictures are taken during your first dance. Many toasts are given while everyone is eating. Your parents delivered emotional ones, your siblings slightly embarrassing ones and your teammates teasing ones and you wouldn’t have it any other way. When you cut the cake and fed each other a piece, your inner prankster couldn’t help themselves and you shove a small piece in her face. After she overcomes her shock she returns the gesture. You clean your faces before its time for a special moment.

***

Aliya’s POV

Alexandrov is now coaching in Brazil but you’re so thankful that he made the time to come to the wedding. He looked good, better than he did when he was working in Russia under the Rodionenko’s. You and Vika had spent so much time with Alexandrov and Gennedy that you both planned to dance with your coaches once. When the time came you went to get Alexandrov and Vika went to get Gennedy. You put your arms around your coach as he puts his around you and you start swaying to the music. You’re surprised at first that Alexandrov has a musical artistic side but then you remember that he used to be a male gymnast.

You open your mouth to speak but he beats you to it. “I told you I’d always be here for you Alka whenever you needed me. You look absolutely beautiful today. I’m so proud of the person you have become and I wish you and Vika a lifetime of love and happiness.” He says his voice gentle.

You can’t help it; your eyes betray a tear. You owed this man so much. He had become like a second father to you. You’ve always had a hard time expressing your feelings to anyone other than Vika but you owed Alexandrov that after everything he went through for you.

“Thank you for coming, I couldn’t imagine not having you here on such an important day in my life. I’m so sorry for everything you had to go through because of me. I just wanted you to know how much it meant to me, how much you mean to me. You’re like a second father. So thank you, for everything.”

The next couple of words are hard for you to say, but he deserves to hear them. They’re the truth after all. You sum up all your courage and whisper in his ear “I love you.”

Those are words he has always known you felt but is very happy to finally hear.

“I love you to Alka.” He whisper’s in your ear before he kisses your forehead lovingly and wipes away your tears.

You dance the rest of the song without speaking, as no words need to be said. He holds you a little bit closer to him giving you wordless comfort. The song finishes and he leaves you to dance with your wife. That’s something you would never be tired of hearing or saying. You look for her and find her on the dance floor with her father, a sight so beautiful you can’t bring yourself to break it up. That’s when you feel someone tap on your shoulder. You turn around and Pavel is smiling at you. It took some time after the break-up but you had become good friends.

“Can I have this dance?” he asks.

You smile and nod and he puts his arms around you. “Thank you for coming Pavel, it means a lot to Vika and Me to have you hear. I met your girlfriend and she is truly wonderful. Maybe in a couple of years we will be dancing at your wedding.”

“I was angry for a longtime after we broke up and I was hurt when you started dating Vika, but seeing how happy you were and are made it easier. She made you happy when I couldn’t. I can genuinely say how happy I am that the two of you have found each other.”

“Thank you Pavel, you’re a wonderful man and you deserve to be happy with someone who loves you as much as you love them. One day you’ll find that person and ill be so glad when you do. You still hold a special place in my heart and you always will. Never forget that.”

“I won’t and thank you for saying that. You’ll always be my first love and one of my best friends. I’ll hold you to that dance at my wedding, don’t think you’ll be able to get out of that one Mustafina.” He says with a smirk.

“Wouldn’t dream of it Pavlov.” You say as you finish the song in silence.

Just as the song is about to end you feel Pavel letting go and you turn to see Viktoria beside you.

“Can I steal my wife for the next dance?”She asks him.

He grabs one of her hands and one of yours. He plants a kiss on both of your cheeks. “Congratulations. I wish you all the very best.” He squeezes your hands once before he smiles and leave.

***

Vika’s POV

She puts your head on your shoulder and you nuzzle into her hair and sigh.

“What’s wrong Alka?” you whisper in her ear.

“I just can’t believe how lucky I am to have you in my life. I’ve never being happier and I don’t think I ever could be. And it’s all thanks to you.” She says sincerely.

“I know exactly how you feel. I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my wife.” You say before giving her a kiss on the cheek. You pull back and she kisses you and connects her forehead to yours while you sway to the music.

***

Aliya’s POV

The song was finishing so you figured it was the best time to escape and execute your plan. “As much as I love seeing you in this dress and have enjoyed our wedding, we have to go.” You say.

She’s surprised but doesn’t object when you grab her by the hand and lead her back to your hotel and to your room. Once there, you say:

“Go inside and get changed, I already have your clothes ready on the bed for you. I have something to take care of. Meet me in the lobby in 30 minutes. “

Before she has a chance to open the door and walk in, you sweep her off her feet and into your strong arms.

“What are you doing Aliya?” she asks curiously yet teasingly.

“Im carrying my wife through the threshold?.” you say smiling. You give her and kiss and leave her to get ready.

***

Vika’s POV

You’re smiling as she leaves. However, you’re wondering what exactly it is she is up to. You get out of your dress and take all the pins out of your hair so that it hangs freely. You walk over to the bed and notice a box. You open it to find a beautiful blue dress. There’s a note attached to some sexy lingerie that says ‘Can hardly wait to take these off later tonight’ with a silly face drawn beside it. You can’t help it and burst out laughing. However, you still oblige and put everything on as told, since you’ll have just as much fun as your wife later on. You look at the clock and head to the lobby.

***

Aliya’s POV

While Vika is changing in your room, you get changed into a semi-tight purple dress in your parent’s room. You walk to the front desk and ask if everything is ready. The clerk answer’s yes when you see Vika approaching out of the corner of your eye. Perfect timing. You smile when you see how beautiful she looks. You grab her hand and lead her out of the hotel.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“Not far. I got one last surprise for you.” You answer as you give her hand a reassuring yet loving squeeze.

“I was quite surprised at the bottom half of that box.” she says and you smirk.

She laughs when your eyes betray your excitement.

“You look absolutely beautiful in that dress Aliya.” She leans into your ear and says:

“I’m guessing there’s some sexy lingerie under there as well?” You lean into her ear and whisper: “Guess again.” This time you’re the one to burst out laughing at her reaction.

Your almost there since, you can see the path of torches and rose petals that leads all the way to your spot. When you get there she gasps in shock seeing the blanket and champagne you had organized.

“Alka you shouldn’t have.” She says with tears in her eyes.

You open the champagne and pour 2 glasses and hand her one. You sit on the blanket and put Vika between your legs. You put your arms around her stomach and rest your chin on her shoulder. You tell her to look up. That’s when she notices the full moon. You couldn’t see it inside or from the tent.

“That’s why I chose this specific day for our wedding. I just wanted this day to be special for you because of how special you are to me.” Tears are flowing down her cheeks.

She turns and kisses you. You raise your glass in toast and say: “To us.” T

hat’s when your amazing, beautiful, incredibly talented and accomplished wife says: “Always & Forever.”


	7. epilogue

Fast Forward 2 years, 2016 Olympic Games in Rio

**Aliya’s POV**

You were starting to get anxious; you were no longer young and fearless.

As if sensing your anxiety, she reaches out and grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers. She gives you a reassuring squeeze and your body already starts to calm down. Even though she wasn’t competing, she was still there with you every step of the way just like she promised.

She stands behind you and places her hands on your shoulders. It was just like London but this time she was your rock. She leans in and whispers in your ear:

“Don’t worry Alka. You were amazing out there today. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone anymore. You did that 4 years ago. You’re doing it now by not only being here but being a medal contender. Believe in yourself just like we all believe in you. Even Alexandrov thinks you’ve got this or else he wouldn’t have come out of his way to tell you so.”

The gold medalist on the uneven bars is…

_Flashback (last night)_

_You hear someone knock on the door to the room you share with Vika. The federation had enough sense not to break you up. Apparently being team captain and threatening poor results from lack of sleep goes a long way._

_You made your way to the door wondering who it could be since Viktoria was at a coaches meeting, which is set to finish shortly._

_You open the door and your mouth drops when you see Alexandrov standing there._

_Laughing he says:_

_“Alka you might want to close your mouth before you swallow a fly.”_

_You smirk before inviting him in. You knew Valentina wouldn’t like it but neither of you cared._

_“H-how did you manage to get it?” You ask curiously._

_“Alka, you seriously underestimate me. 1. I’m not wearing any team Brazil clothing. 2. I speak Russian. 3. People in Russia still know who I am and 4. I asked to see you. The pictures from your wedding with me in them clearly showed that we were still close.”_

_“You always were quite resourceful. Let’s just hope Valentina doesn’t find out or she will have a heart attack.”_

_“In that case let’s go give Valentina a little visit.” He says with a deviant twinkle in his eyes._

_You both burst into hysterics just as Vika enters the room with widened eyes._

_“As nice as it is to see you Alexander, what are you doing here?” She asks as she gives him a hug._

_“I wanted to talk to the both of you but I also want to speak to Aliya. I guess I’ll start with the both of you. I don’t know if you have plans or not but I thought I’d offer anyways. When the games are over, the two of you are welcome to stay with me at my beach house for a week or two.”_

_You look at each other but no words are needed._

_“We would love that.” You answer in unison._

_“I’ll make the arrangements and talk to Valentina so she doesn’t start organizing media stuff. You must be happy Alka, you get to miss the ‘grand arrival’ you’ve been dreading.”She says._

_You and Alexandrov both smirk. Vika knew you like the back of her hand._

_“Did you want me to leave you so you can speak to Alka alone?” She asks._

_“No, you’re her wife and a team coach.” He tells her before turning towards you._

_“I told you years ago I would always be here for you whenever you needed me. I know Evgeny will give you the same speech tomorrow but I still feel responsible for you. During bars final tomorrow, make sure to hit your handstands, to have your elbows tucked in and to stick your landing. With that said, this medal is yours to lose. If you hit tomorrow, you’ll blow away the competition. Alka, you’re ready. Trust your training and trust your body, neither will fail you. Tomorrow is for you, not Russia. You deserve to be here, so enjoy yourself. You don’t have the pressure you had in London and your amazing wife is there if you need it. Now get some sleep, you’re going to need it.”_

_He gets up and gives Vika a kiss on the cheek before kissing your forehead and leaving_

_End of flashback_

The gold medalist on the uneven bars is: ALIYA MUSTAFINA.

You turn and crush your wife in a hug before planting a kiss on her lips.

“I’m so proud of you Alka.” She whispers in your ear before letting go.

“I love you.” You say before all the cameras start storming you.

Evgeny picks you up in a bear hug and the Russian camp is going crazy. It really does feel like London. So many things remained the same yet so many things were different. These are all things you thought of when you were waiting to receive your second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

You think of the last 4 years, the competitions, the pains, the memories.

When you see Viktoria standing by with tears of joy in her eyes, you think of the journey you shared with your wife these last 2 years.

_Flashback (2015 Germany)_

_You and Vika were at your joint doctor’s appointment in Germany. You were getting a check-up on your knee and Vika was getting her ankles checked out since they were really starting to bother her again._

_Everything in your knee checked out okay, which was a relief. Vika’s ankles were a whole other story._

_If she wants to continue and or no longer be in pain, she needs an operation which would take months to heal. Time she desperately needs for Rio. There was no guarantee that she would be ready in time for the Olympics._

_You and Vika looked at each other before asking if you could think about it overnight and answer the next morning. The doctor agrees so you leave and call Evgeny, who is now the head coach of the women’s national team. You let him know about vika’s prognosis and tell him you’ll call him tomorrow with an answer._

_You made the rest of the trip to the hotel in silence. Once in your room, she sits on the bed so you crouch in front of her so you can look into her eyes. You take her hands in yours and gently ask her:_

_“What do you want to do Viktoria? The surgery will fix the problem but you might not be ready for the Olympics. It won’t be an easy road but if you decide you want to try, I’ll be behind you every step of the way. However, you have to be the one to make this decision based on what’s best for you. I’m going to go for a walk and give you some time to think.”_

_***_

**_Vika’s POV_ **

_You were greatfull for this time to think but also from the support Aliya was giving you. You still can’t believe you get to spend the rest of your life with her._

_You knew you only had an hour or so before Aliya returns so you focused on the task at hand. You truly believed you still had some gymnastics left in you. However, you also know you absolutely need this surgery. There was no way you could train or compete without it._

_You think of the unjury and the rehabilitation Aliya went through the year and a half before London. How many corners had to be cut so that she could be ‘ready’ in time. The amount of pain she was in before and during the games. How hard she worked._

_You take the advantage of being alone to make a call._

_The phone rings twice before you hear:_

_“Vika, I wasn’t expecting a call until after your appointment tomorrow.”_

_“I know Evgeny. There is something I want to talk to you about.”_

_End of flashback_

***

**Aliya’s POV**

In the end, it was decided Vika would get the surgery but come back as a coach on the national team.

You still remember the feeling in the pit of your stomach as she told you the news.

_Flashback (2015 Germany)_

_You walked into the room just as Viktoria was getting off the phone._

_“Who was that?” you ask curiously._

_She motions for you to sit down._

_“That was Evgeny. I wanted to know something before making my decision. You’ll love me no matter what?” she asks nervously_

_“Always & Forever my love.” You answer her before planting a kiss to her forehead._

_“I’m going to have the surgery. However, I’m retiring from gymnastics. That’s why I called Evgeny.”_

_Your heart drops when you hear this bit of information. You can’t help but think what this means for your marriage. Vika can’t stay at round lake if she isn’t tied to the national team._

_“He told me that he has this interesting junior coming up that doesn’t have a coach. He wants her at round lake so he offered me the job. I’ll be taking the courses while getting help from the other coaches. He put it this way ‘you can be the Alexandrov to her Aliya’. This is the only way I could think of that would keep us together.”_

_“That’s not what I was expecting but that’s great news Vika. Congratulations!”_

_“It wasn’t what I was expecting either. I promise to be with you every step of the way or your amazing journey. We can also start planning and or trying to have a baby. I don’t know if you wanted to be pregnant but I Know I want to.”_

_“I don’t know if I want to bear children but I know I want them with you. You’ll be an amazing mother. We’ll make an appointment with the doctor.”_

_“Thank you.” She says sincerely._

_“What for?”_

_“For being such a wonderful wife. I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you so much.”Her voice cracked at her declaration of love from having to deal with so many emotions._

_You gently put your arms around her:_

_“I love you too. You are the center of my universe.”_

_End of flashback_

You had spent the last year and couple of months trying but nothing ever took. The doctor said it wouldn’t be easy since as a gymnast, Vika’s body had been pushed to its breaking point so many time’s. She even had to gain weight and ‘body fat’ so that her hormones would start acting ‘normally’.

Life is about the journey, not the destination. What’s meant to happen will happen when god wills it. How true that statement was as the announcer announced your name as back to back gold medalist.

You accepted your medal with pride over an amazing and accomplished career but also with a hint of sadness since it had just come to an end. You made sure to enjoy every last moment. You had even shed a tear on top of the podium.

You had spotted Alexandrov beside Vika cheering loudly. You smiled in their direction, silently thanking them.

After the ceremony, you had to give many interviews. You weren’t asked about your knee like you had in London. Most people congratulated you on your performance and such a glorious career. You had been asked what you would do now that you were done competing. You were also asked what you were thinking about that had led you to tears on the podium. To which you answered:

“I thought about the amazing journey I went through and the people in my life who supported my dreams and helped me accomplish them. I couldn’t have asked for a better career and even better way to finish it.”

Once you were done, you went back to your room and got ready to go to the Russian house to celebrate your medal and in a way your retirement.

You received a standing ovation when you arrived. Even Alexandrov was in attendance. Many people had given speeches: Evgeny, Alexandrov and gymnastic legends Svetlana Khorkina and Svetlana Boginskaya.

You had tears in your eyes as Vika took to the stage and invited you up.

***

**Vika’s POV**

“Aliya as your past teammate and as your wife I can’t say how proud I am of you. As anyone who has ever met you knows, your determination and dedication is without reproach. You work hard and your accomplishments are a testament to that. Today marks the end to your unbelievable career. A chapter closes but another one will start. I’ve been thinking of how to tell you but today on such an amazing occasion and in front of our friends I couldn’t think of a better way to start this new chapter of our life. As some of you know, Aliya and I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year and have been having some difficulties. Well 4 months ago we had our last attempt pre-Olympics. Almost 2 months later I felt sick and went to the doctor’s and found out I was pregnant.”

The crowd erupts into cheers and Aliya stares at you in shock. The expression on her face is unreadable.

“The doctor told me to wait before telling anyone to make sure it would stick. Well it did so Aliya I have a present for you.”

A bunch of staff members came out carrying a cake with a camera man behind emitting a live feed onto the large screen in front. When the cake landed in front of Aliya, the tears she had been holding back were falling freely. The camera zooms onto the message written on the cake that says ‘congratulations it’s a boy!’ with a pair of Rio 2016 Nike’s made for a baby boy.

The crowd was going wild at this point. Aliya made her way over to you crushing you in a hug and kissing you hard on the lips as tears went down both of your faces.

When you part, her hand makes its way to your stomach.

“Thank you.” She says.

“What for?” You say reminding you both of the conversation that led you to this moment.

“For giving me the best gift in the world other than your love.” She barely chokes out.

You place your hand atop of her’s still resting on your stomach before kissing her on the cheek. You step out of your bubble to join the celebration. There was champagne going around, which Aliya gladly accepted on both of your accounts.

You receive congratulations from all the significant people in your life. There’s one in particular the two of you would like to thank.

You make your way to Emin Garibov, a long time friend but also the sperm donor. You wanted your child to know his biological father and Emin was the perfect fit. He loves children, he is a talented and accomplished gymnast (just in case) but most importantly he is willing to do anything to help.

“Congratulations you guys! I’m so happy for you. I know I’m ‘technically’ the father but this child will have amazing moms and I can’t wait to be uncle Emin.”

“Thank you Emin. You gave us the world’s most amazing gift and because of that, we want you to be much more than uncle Emin. We would like you to be our son’s godfather.”

With tears in his eyes, he grabs one hand from the both of you.

“Thank you.” He can barely choke out before kissing your cheek and Aliya’s before dropping to one knee.

His hands hover over your stomach before locking eyes with you. Silently asking permission to which you nod in agreement. He puts his hands on both sides of your stomach before talking.

“Hello in there, I just wanted to say how lucky you are to have the world’s most amazing mom’s who love you and that I can’t wait to meet you.”

He gets up, hugs you both before leaving.

You and Aliya make your way around saying goodbye before leaving. You were both feeling nostalgic so you decided to go to the garden.

***

**Aliya’s POV**

You kept a firm grip on your wife’s hand, you felt and overwhelming need to protect her and your unborn son.

You make your way to a bench and sit down. You remained silent for a while, trying to process all these emotions and all this information. Vika places a hand on your leg, giving you wordless comfort and letting you know she’s here without rushing you.

You put an arm around your wife’s shoulder and press a kiss to her temple. You grab one of her hands. As if sensing what you wanted, she places your hand on her stomach, covering it with her own.

You look into her eyes and can tell something has her worried. You start slightly panicking.

“What’s wrong Vika? Do you feel sick? Are you cold? Should I go get help?” you ask and she starts laughing.

“He’s not even born yet Alka and you’re already worrying. You’re going to have a head full of gray hair before he starts school.”

“Well, he is your child after all.” You say teasingly.

She playfully hit’s you on the arm before snuggling up to you, still very much tense.

“Seriously Viktoria, what’s bothering you?”

“I’m scared you’re angry because I waited so long to tell you.” She admits nervously.

“How could I be angry when all you wanted to do was make it special and to not distract me before one of the most important competitions of my life. It would have been special no matter how you would have told me.”

“Do you want to see a picture?”

You nod since you can’t seem to find your voice. She takes a picture out of her wallet and hands it to you.

Your eyes land upon your son for the first time and you can barely keep it together. That’s when you notice the name at the top of the picture ‘baby Mustafin’. You turn to Vika barely chocking out:

“You want him to have my name?”

Most people didn’t know that after the wedding, Vika had taken your last name legally as a wedding present.

“Aliya, this baby is as much yours as it is mine. This way, the world will know it too.”

***

**Vika’s POV**

The high she had been riding on was slowly fading away.

“Come on, let’s go back to the room and get you to bed. You look exhausted.”

She only nods in agreement since she doesn’t seem to have enough energy to do anything else. You make your way to the Russia building and lead her up to the room and help her get ready for bed. This really does feel like London all over again.

You get ready and join her on the bed. You settle on your back. Suddenly Aliya makes her way to your stomach and lifts your shirt enough to expose your barely visible baby bump.

“Hey there. You don’t know this yet but I’m your mama. I made a promise to your mom many years ago and now I’m going to make you one. I promise to love you and to protect you. Always & Forever.”

“I know you just found out but I already have a name in mind.” You admit.

She looks at you curiously.

“How about…”

***

**Aliya’s POV**

Fast forward (January 7 2017)

Your beautiful baby boy was born weighing 7 pounds. You had spent a couple of minutes alone with him and Viktoria before going to get your families in the waiting room. You couldn’t believe he was finally here and that he was all yours, that you were now responsible for a life other than your own.

He had Vika’s features but Emin’s skin tone and dark hair. In other words, he was perfect.

You leave Vika alone with the baby while you went to get your loved ones in the waiting room.

“Would you guys like to meet our son?” you say and everyone smiles.

In the room is: Viktoria’s parents and her brother Sasha, your parents and sister Naylia but also Emin. You both felt he should be here.

As you bring them back to the room you stop Emin for a moment.

“Vika and I would like to talk to you so wait for them to leave before holding the baby.” He looks at you confused before nodding in understanding.

Once in the room, you find the mom’s kissing Vika on the forehead while the dad’s give you a hug. Emin who didn’t really know what to do stood silently in the corner with a proud grin before being enveloped in a group hug by Vika’s parents and shaking hands with Sasha.

The family members take turns holding the baby. Sasha seemed terrified that he might break him. He finally makes his way back to Vika’s arms when Naylia asks the relevant question of the moment.

“What’s his name?”

“Everyone this is Dmitriy Alexander Emin Mustafin.” Vika says gently.

Emin’s jaw drops in surprise and everyone smiles in agreement.

“Vika is tired and the nurse will come take the baby shortly, so if you wouldn’t mind we’d like to have a few moments alone with him. We will be home tomorrow night if everything goes according to plan and you know you are all welcomed.”

Everyone other than Emin kissed the baby and Vika before hugging you and leaving. The only person left in the room was Emin with tears in his eyes.

You tell him to sit down before taking the baby from Viktoria and placing him in his arms. By now he had tears flowing down his face as he took one of Alexander’s hands in his.

“Hey there little buddy, its uncle Emin. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and that I will always be here for you.” He says gently to the baby.

“He’s going to be a little heart breaker isn’t he.” He jokes to the two of you.

“Just like his father and his mama.” Vika adds teasingly.

Emin gently places a kiss upon the baby’s head before handing him over to you and preparing to leave.

“Emin wait. We just wanted to thank you. Naming him after you is only a little token of how grateful we are. We chose you as the father because we want our son to know where he comes from. We want you to know that you will always be a part of this family.”

“Thank you. Dmitriy hit the jackpot when it comes to parents. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to say yes to being the donor. I’ll leave you guys alone before the nurse comes.”

He kisses all of you on the forehead before leaving. You give the baby back to Vika and you settle down next to her, keeping a protective eye over your family.

“Who knew we picked two emotional men to name our son after. First Alexandrov, now Emin.”Vika says jokingly.

_Flashback (2016 Alexandrov’s beach house)_

_You were sitting by the fireplace with Alexandrov. He was making jokes about how hard our son would be to coach with us as his parents._

_“He won’t be that bad.” Vika says while cradling her tiny bump._

_“Maybe not from your side, but Aliya is a whole different story.” He says in hysterics with Vika joining him soon after._

_You frown in disagreement before he adds:_

_“You wouldn’t be the Alka we love so much if you weren’t the way you are.” He says lovingly._

_This man truly was like a father to you._

_“Did Aliya tell you we already decided on his name?” Vika adds._

_“No, what are we naming the future Russian gymnastics god?” he says teasingly yet seriously._

_Vika looks at you silently telling you to do the honors._

_“His name is Dmitriy Alexander Emin Mustafin. We wanted to name him after you but it was to confusing since that’s also her brother Sasha’s name.”_

_Alexandrov just stares at you in disbelief before making his way over to you crushing you in his embrace._

_“Thank you.” He says before gently hugging Viktoria._

_“We couldn’t think of a better name for our son.” Vika says proudly._

_End of flashback_

By the time you had finished strolling down memory lane, Vika was fast asleep. You take your son from her hands and make our way to the chair near the window. You sing him a lullaby before kissing his nose. One of his tiny hands grabs onto one of your fingers before he falls asleep.

Fast forward (January 8 2017)

Vika and the baby we’re being discharged today so while they made their way to the entrance you brought out the car.

You face the first challenge of parenthood as you have to strap your son into the baby seat. This proved more difficult than you ever thought would be possible. When he’s finally secured, you make your way over to the driver’s seat. You look into the rearview mirror and all you can see is an infant pair of 2016 Rio Nike shoes.

You take one of Vika’s hands in yours before looking at her.

“Are you ready for this?” She asks.

You kiss her hand and say:

“Always & Forever my loves.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story I ever wrote. I hope you enjoy it.


End file.
